COVID vaccinations Archives

Thousands vaccinated at Arrowhead Stadium, many from Jackson County’s poorest neighborhoods

March 20, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC Channel 9 contributed to this story.

Missouri’s governor says more than 3,600 Jackson County residents were vaccinated on Friday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, the largest state-supported vaccination event thus far in the state.

Two Missouri National Guard teams are at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium for the two-day mega vaccination event (March 19, 2021 photo courtesy of the State Emergency Management Agency Twitter page)

The second day of vaccinations begins this morning at 9 and continues until 7 p.m. Two Missouri National Guard teams are at Arrowhead again today, and about 4,000 additional shots are expected to be given. The Arrowhead event involves the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The event is for Jackson County residents only.

Jackson County includes Kansas City, Raytown and Grandview.

Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC reports many of those vaccinated Friday are from the poorest and most-impacted neighborhoods from COVID in Jackson County. KMBC’s Mike Mahoney, who was in the Arrowhead parking lot all day Friday, reports things went smoothly. Mahoney says the mass vaccination process took about 40 minutes, from arrival to completion.

Gov. Parson at Arrowhead Stadium event. photo/video KMBC TV.

Governor Mike Parson traveled to Arrowhead Stadium on Friday, where he held a press conference with Jackson County Executive and former Kansas City Royal star Frank White. They were also joined by State Sen. Barbara Washington (D-Kansas City), State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove (D-Kansas City), State Rep. Emily Weber (D-Kansas City), and others.

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority President Robbie Makinen also spoke at Friday’s press conference and praised the bipartisan cooperation to put it together.

“I’m grateful for Governor Parson, I’m grateful for Senator Barbara Washington, for Representative Bland Manlove. Them allowing us to be a part, they understand that need for access. That need to level the playing field and for social equity,” Mr. Makinen says.

The governor also says that about 40 percent of Missourians will likely decide to not receive COVID vaccinations.

“I believe it is the right thing to do to take the vaccine, but again I want to be clear about this, there’s still going to be a certain amount of people that’s not going to take the vaccine. And they have every right to do that,” Parson says.

Meantime, Missouri vaccinators have now administered more than 1.9 million COVID shots, which includes the first and second doses. That’s 21.1 percent of Missouri’s population. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) COVID-19 dashboard says 225,016 doses have been administered during the past week, which is an average of 32,145 per day.

Governor Parson also announced Friday that vaccine allotments to Missouri are projected to triple, with more than 500,000 initial doses estimated to arrive in Missouri during April’s first week.

Missouri lawmaker wants to see statewide mass vaccination event for teachers (AUDIO)

February 24, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A freshman Missouri lawmaker is calling on the Parson administration to prioritize teachers for COVID vaccinations. State Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire, wants to see teachers moved from tier three to tier two.

State Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 23, 2021, as State Rep. Neil Smith (D-St. Louis County) listens (photo: Tim Bommel at House Communications)

“Right now, there’s a potential that they could not get the first vaccination shot for possibly months. Could be possibly two to three months, there’s no guarantee,” Burton says.

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) director Dr. Randall Williams told Capitol reporters last week that the Parson administration’s main focus continues to be the most vulnerable and elderly residents.

“Our north star is our most vulnerable, and I think I’ve told you (Capitol reporters) the second thing I look at every morning after I look at the case rate is the percentage of our senior citizens who’ve been vaccinated,” says Dr. Williams.

That percentage is now 38 percent for those 85 and older, and 26 percent for those ages 75-84.

As for Representative Burton, he’s also asking the Parson administration to consider a statewide mass vaccination event for teachers.

“It will make the parents of those students safer, it will make the grandparents of those students safer. And I think that we need to prioritize the teachers,” Burton says.

An online petition is circulating in support of Burton’s call.

“We do have a petition going around right now, it has over 2,000 signatures. It’s been signed from people all across the state,” says Burton.

Burton tells Missourinet he’s had good conversations with Dr. Williams, adding that they both understand where the other is coming from and will keep the conversation going.

Missouri vaccinators have now administered more than one-million total doses of the COVID vaccine. About 709,000 Missourians have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, which is about 11.5 percent of the population.

The Missouri National Guard, DHSS and local health partners are planning multiple mass vaccination events on Wednesday. Events will be taking place in northern Missouri’s Moberly, northwest Missouri’s Princeton, southwest Missouri’s Anderson, west-central Missouri’s Warsaw and in southeast Missouri’s Bollinger County.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full five-minute interview with State Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire, which was recorded on February 22, 2021:

Friday’s vaccination event in southeast Missouri is a go; Poplar Bluff crews work to clear ice

February 11, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

State officials say Friday’s mass vaccination clinic in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff will continue as scheduled, despite a two-day ice storm.

Members of the Missouri National Guard gather in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff for the January 22, 2021 vaccination event (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

About 1,900 people received their first Pfizer COVID vaccinations in Poplar Bluff on January 22. Friday’s event will be for the second COVID shot.

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Butler County health officials say Friday’s event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Black River Coliseum (BRC). The BRC is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena.

Butler County health officials say Poplar Bluff Police and street crews have been working to clear ice and ensure that sidewalks and the parking lot are safe.

Golf carts from the Poplar Bluff parks department will be used to help those unable to walk from the parking lot to the front door. And the Black River Coliseum’s top drive is open for anyone dropping off or picking up those who will be receiving their COVID vaccination.

Poplar Bluff was hit hard by the ice storm that hit Wednesday and Thursday. Parts of southeast Missouri received about a half-inch of ice during the storm. That half-inch included sleet, which came after freezing rain.

Most schools across southeast Missouri have been closed. The ice storm also caused numerous crashes on I-55 and I-57.