COVID vaccine Archives

Parson pleased with progress on Missouri COVID vaccinations; emphasizes importance of second dose

December 31, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Wednesday in Jefferson City that more than 66,000 frontline health care workers and nursing home residents and staff have received the initial COVID vaccine.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson thanks employees at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for how they’ve responded to the COVID pandemic, during an event in Jefferson City on December 23, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson tells Capitol reporters that he’s pleased with how the process has gone.

“On Monday we received more good news that CVS and Walgreens began vaccinating residents and staff in Missouri’s long-term care facilities through the federal pharmacy partnership,” Parson says.

He says those vaccine shipments come directly from the federal government to the pharmacies, as part of Missouri’s allotment of Moderna COVID vaccines.

“Vaccinating facilities across the state will receive nearly 84,000 initial vaccine doses this week, and we expect to receive more than 73,000 additional doses next week,” says Parson.

The governor also used part of Wednesday’s press conference to discuss the importance of the second dose. He says Missourians who’ve received an initial dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine will begin receiving their second dose next week.

“It is extremely important that every Missourian return for the second dose of the vaccine,” Parson says.

The governor says shipments for the second dose are already accounted for, when initial shipments are allotted.

The governor also tells Capitol reporters that Missouri now has 196 contracted staff through the partnership with Vizient, working in hospitals in Jefferson City, St. Joseph, Hannibal, Springfield and several other communities. Parson has credited Vizient for helping to expand the state’s health care system capacity.

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams joined Governor Parson at the Capitol. Dr. Williams says 314,000 COVID vaccines have been shipped to Missouri in December.

Parson: changes must be made at Missouri veterans homes; governor also touts safety of COVID vaccine

December 18, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) says at least 145 veterans living at Missouri veterans homes have died from the coronavirus, since September. 39 of those deaths happened at the state veterans home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron, while 29 have occurred at the home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau.

Governor Mike Parson tours the La-Z-Boy plant in southwest Missouri’s Neosho on December 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City this week, Governor Mike Parson told Missourinet that changes must be made involving the operations of state veterans homes. He says his office will see that it’s done.

“Most of you have seen the report that’s come out, you know things have to be done differently,” Parson says. “And we’re going to ensure that those changes are made as soon as we possibly can make those changes. The state has stepped in, once we seen that we felt like there was a problem there and have been on the ground ever since.”

An independent investigation conducted by St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale found that the MVC headquarters failed to recognize the COVID outbreak. The report found that some veterans have roommates and share toilet and shower facilities. Armstrong Teasdale recommends that veterans reside in private rooms with private bathrooms.

Armstrong Teasdale makes dozens of other recommendations, including calling on MVC headquarters and veterans homes to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 outbreak plan.

Meantime, the governor and State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) director also focused their attention on the COVID vaccine, during the press conference.

DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams hopes every Missourian considers getting the COVID vaccine. He says the FDA has been examining drug and vaccine safety for more than 100 years.

“We very much think this is safe and, as the governor said, effective for people with COVID,” says Dr. Williams.

Dr. Williams says 90 percent of people who get the COVID vaccine will have no side effects. He says less than ten percent will have mild side effects, more likely to occur after the second vaccine.

Dr. Williams says those side effects usually go away in a day.

“And they consist of, primarily, fatigue, in about four percent. You’ll feel a little bit tired that day. Headaches, about two percent. And about one percent will have some muscle pain right here in what we call myalgia, muscle aches all over,” Dr. Williams says.

Dr. Williams says one percent “will have a little bit of a chill.”

Pending FDA approval, Missouri could receive its first shipment of about 105,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week.

More than 1,000 Missouri frontline health care workers have already received the vaccine.

Governor Parson says everything has gone according to Missouri’s 111-page vaccine plan

December 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced on Wednesday in Jefferson City that about 1,000 frontline health care workers have already received COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccine arrived at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City on December 15, 2020 (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s Flickr page)

During a Statehouse press conference, Governor Mike Parson told Capitol reporters that Missouri’s 21 initial vaccination sites have received almost all 51,675 doses of the first Pfizer vaccine shipment. He says everything has gone according to the state’s 111-page vaccine plan.

“Hospitals across the state have expressed how thankful they are that a vaccine is here and see these first shipments as hope for the future,” Parson says.

Parson says pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Missouri could receive its first shipment of 105,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week.

The governor emphasizes that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are scientifically proven to be safe and effective, and that both vaccines have shown a 95 percent effectiveness rate.

During the press conference, Governor Parson also discussed efforts to increase the health care system’s capacity. He credits the partnership with Vizient for expanding the state’s health care system capacity.

Parson says six Missouri health care systems are now participating in the 12-week partnership: SSM Health in St. Louis and Jefferson City, St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, MOSAIC Life Care in St. Joseph, Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, St. Louis’ BJC Healthcare and CoxHealth in Springfield.

“The first group of staff is scheduled to begin on Monday and another 42 staff members will be coming soon,” says Parson.

The governor says 117 health care workers have been contracted, at this time. That includes 50 respiratory therapists, 20 intensive care unit registered nurses and 18 medical-surgical registered nurses.

Governor Parson also addressed education during the briefing, announcing an additional $10 million for the A-plus scholarship program. That includes $5 million in CARES Act funding.

“We are excited to be able to provide this additional funding and help community college continue to provide the full A-plus scholarships for all students,” Parson says.

He notes that community colleges are facing a shortfall of funding for the program, and that the COVID pandemic has caused more students to utilize the program than originally anticipated.

State Technical College of Missouri President Shawn Strong praises the news, tweeting to Missourinet on Wednesday that 800 students at his school in mid-Missouri’s Linn will appreciate this development next semester.

The A-plus program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A-plus designated high schools who attend a participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain two-year vocational and technical schools.

Armstrong Teasdale: Missouri veterans homes should undergo a COVID-19 reset (AUDIO)

December 3, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

An independent investigation into the recent COVID-19 deaths at Missouri veterans homes has found that the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) headquarters failed to recognize the outbreak.

Armstrong Teasdale’s 53-page report says MVC should have recognized the presence of an outbreak in the veterans home in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau by September 2.

MVC Chairman Tim Noonan says a tremendous amount of data was coming in.

“When the data was analyzed, there should have been a faster response to really recognize that the outbreak was growing in a way that ran faster than the protocols that we had in place,” Noonan says.

29 veterans have died from COVID at the Cape Girardeau veterans home since September 1, and there have been 34 deaths at the home in northwest Missouri’s Cameron. There have been 138 deaths at veterans homes statewide since September.

Armstrong Teasdale’s report also found a failure on the part of MVC headquarters to respond to the outbreak. Armstrong Teasdale’s report says MVC headquarters “was lulled into a false sense of security and failed to capitalize on its early successes” in the spring.

“The Veterans Commission should have anticipated an inevitability that the virus would get in (to the veterans homes), and if it did get in, how fast it could spread,” says Noonan.

Noonan tells Missourinet that this was a complex problem that overwhelmed very well-intended people.

The report notes that COVID cases among veterans at the homes jumped from two in August to 173 in September. Staff cases increased from eight in August to 74 in September.

Armstrong Teasdale’s report makes dozens of recommendations, including calling on MVC headquarters and veterans homes to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 outbreak plan.

The report notes that some veterans have roommates and share toilet and shower facilities. Armstrong Teasdale recommends that veterans reside in private rooms with private bathrooms, “to the extent possible.”

Armstrong Teasdale is also recommending that all Missouri veterans homes undergo a “COVID-19 reset,” meaning fundamental education regarding COVID and how to prevent its spread.

They also recommend that MVC consider retaining an occupational health nurse on headquarters staff, through the end of the pandemic. Another recommendation is making sure that veterans in the homes receive priority, when a safe vaccine becomes available.

Chairman Noonan is reviewing the recommendations closely.

“We’re going to take them all (recommendations) seriously and implement the ones that we think are going to have an impact,” Noonan says. “And definitely, staffing matters. Having the right talent, doing the right job matters.”

Noonan says MVC will drive the reforms that are needed. He also praises MVC staff, including its nurses and CNA’s, saying they have been working hard during the pandemic.

Noonan praises Armstrong Teasdale’s investigators as well, noting they are veterans.

He says MVC’s job as leaders and managers must be to anticipate problems, just not fix them. He says the commission can do better in anticipating problems, in communicating and in making sure the staff has the resources that they need.

Another section of the report highlights the emotional toll the pandemic has taken on veterans living in Missouri veterans homes. Veterans currently cannot see family members, due to COVID concerns.

The report recommends that the homes establish a protocol to allow a limited number of designated family members to visit their loves one, saying it will provide veterans the contact they desperately need and will provide staff some relief.

“Some of the many ways in which family members are instrumental in their loved ones’ care include feeding or coaxing to eat, cleaning ears to help them hear better, helping them shower, providing passive range of motion, getting them out of bed, helping them turn in bed to prevent bedsores, trimming their eyebrows, brushing their teeth, dressing them and communicating with the medical team,” Armstrong Teasdale’s report reads, in part.

The report also says that it’s clear that MVC headquarters and homes staff genuinely care for the veterans. One family member told an investigator “They treated him (her veteran family member) like a hero.”

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview (11:25) with Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) Chairman Tim Noonan, which was recorded on December 2, 2020:

Missouri submits 111-page COVID-19 vaccine plan to CDC

October 15, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri has submitted its plan for administering the impending COVID vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state will receive feedback from the CDC on the 111-page plan by October 26.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) logo (image courtesy of DHSS)

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams tells Capitol reporters that the plan’s hallmark is collaboration and coordination.

“It represents more than 100 state employees, a whole government approach, working with FQHC’s, working with hospitals, working with nursing homes, working with partners in the state and our federal partners,” Dr. Williams says.

FQHC’s are federally qualified health centers.

Missouri’s plan is based upon CDC’s anticipation of a phased availability of vaccines within the state.

Dr. Williams says Missouri will collaborate with health care systems and pharmacy partners to vaccinate long-term care facility staff and other health care workers.

“Our north star is to get this vaccine to those families, for their loved ones to get it, and at the same time to prevent community transmission so we can reduce the stress on our health care system,” he says.

Dr. Williams spoke to Capitol reporters at a Jefferson City press conference on Wednesday afternoon, where he was joined by Governor Mike Parson.

The plan says the highest risk population for mortality from COVID is nursing home residents, with 75 percent of Missouri’s COVID deaths happening in these facilities.

Missouri has about 425,000 health care workers. Dr. Williams says that as vaccine availability expands, efforts will be aimed at residents most at risk, the elderly and those with certain medical conditions.

The Missouri Hospital Association is praising the plan. They have been a partner in the vaccine planning effort.

“Missouri’s hospitals will be actively engaged in advocating for vaccination and administering the vaccine in the communities they serve,” Missouri Hospital Association President Herb Kuhn says, in a written statement.

Click here to read the 111-page plan.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says the state has had 150,554 COVID cases this year, along with 2,442 deaths.