Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams Archives

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:

Missouri health officials say future distribution of COVID vaccine is based on following the rules

February 5, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Thursday in Jefferson City that there have been issues with the COVID vaccine distribution process, and warns that there will be consequences for vaccinators that allow people to jump the line.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters on February 4, 2021, as Governor Parson listens (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson briefed Capitol reporters during a Statehouse press conference, emphasizing that his administration will vaccinate the most vulnerable and those 65 and older first.

“This is part of the process that we’re going to put in place to be able to help that group that is in that tier and we’re going to maintain that. If that is not followed, then we will do other actions,” Parson says.

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams says future distribution of the vaccine is based on following the rules. During the press conference, Dr. Williams talked about one recent example of a vaccinator not following proper guidelines.

“It came to my attention, a pharmacist in an area called us and said look, I just know that they’re giving it to a group that’s not and so I called them,” says Dr. Williams. “I called the CEO of that institution and I said true or not true and he said true. And I said why, and he kind of went and he said I’m just going to tell you, we did it.”

Dr. Williams is not releasing the vaccinator’s name.

Governor Parson also criticized House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, for recently getting a COVID shot in Jefferson City, saying she cut in line.

Leader Quade told the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” after that event that she had asked the personnel administering the vaccine questions about the process.

“We hadn’t heard anything, of course, other than just word of mouth and then when we went there they were of course like- yes, everyone. Later to find out that wasn’t for us. And that’s, you know, a frustrating thing,” Quade told the newspaper.

The governor outlined some positive numbers, during the briefing. He says the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate is now 9.3 percent, 15 points lower than November. He describes this development as extremely encouraging.

He also says about 600,000 COVID doses have been administered to Missourians. Governor Parson says supply continues to be the limiting factor. Governor Parson says the state is committed to giving every Missourian the opportunity to eventually receive a vaccine regardless of where they live.

Mass vaccination events were conducted Thursday in three rural Missouri communities: northwest Missouri’s Chillicothe, southern Missouri’s Rolla and southeast Missouri’s Farmington. All three areas have large elderly populations. 975 doses were administered in Chillicothe, where the Missouri National Guard and health employees worked in sleet.

Governor Parson also says more than 315,000 cases of personal protective equipment (PPE) have now been shipped to Missouri health care providers, including 24 million gowns and 20 million gloves.

During the press conference, the governor was also asked about the unemployment overpayment controversy. Parson reiterates that residents who received unemployment overpayments should have to repay the money, with a payment plan.

“I don’t think if there’s a mistake made on both sides there ought to be some mutual understanding of how we make up that difference,” Parson says. “So if that means somebody paying something off over a five-year period of time or whatever the timeslots are, if they know they’ve got it and can then they should.”

The governor’s position is at odds with members of the bipartisan Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight, which has criticized the state Department of Labor’s position.

State Labor director Anna Hui testified this week that the state overpaid more than $150 million in unemployment benefits in 2020. About 46,000 Missourians have been impacted, and the oversight committee learned this week that a Kansas City woman is being told she must repay $23,000.

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.

Missouri officials talk about COVID-19 vaccine rollout

November 24, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Pfizer’s manufacturing plant in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield is one of three company locations in America set to make a COVID-19 vaccine. The drug maker has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve emergency use of its immunization it says has been shown to be 95% effective.

Missouri officials talk about COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed – a national effort to fast track the vaccine rollout – says the plan is to ship vaccines to U.S. immunization sites 24 hours after federal approval. He tells CNN he expects that to happen around December 11 or 12. Slaoui says the efforts could get the U.S. back to normal life around May.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, tells Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly that the vaccine effort is moving quickly.

“Pfizer has applied for their use permit. We expect Moderna to do that within a couple of weeks. Between the two of them, they’ll have enough vaccine in December for the first 20 million Americans and they’re likely healthcare workers, people in nursing homes and people who would be the most at risk to get that vaccine. We expect a couple of other companies to quickly follow near the first of the year,” says Blunt. “After you get through that first group of healthcare workers and people most negatively affected, the next group – about 35% of the entire population – would be the essential workers of the country – people who are working at food processing facilities and grocery stores, daycare centers, school bus drivers, school teachers.”

According to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams, phase 1 of the state’s plan could reach 250,000 of the most vulnerable citizens.

The department has identified five hospital sites to administer the vaccine but has not yet announced the names. Williams says patients from long-term care centers and assisted living centers, for instance, will have to be transported to an immunization site.

Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines require two doses at varying intervals.

The vaccine must be kept chilled at -94F and can only be removed from that temperature four times. It will be sent in batches every seven days.

Missouri’s governor is pleased with start of school year, for K-12 and for higher education

September 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor says all of the state’s public schools are in session as of this week … some in-person, some online and some with a hybrid model.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to schoolchildren and teachers in mid-Missouri’s California School District on September 9, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson tells Capitol reporters that State Education Commissioner Dr. Margie Vandeven and state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams met Wednesday with leaders of local schools and local public health agencies to assess COVID-19 mitigation strategies, state guidance for school masking, contact tracing and quarantine and isolation.

“We want our kids in school and we will continue to do everything we can to keep them safe, healthy and moving forward,” Parson says.

The governor says Missouri’s colleges and universities are also off to a good start. Governor Parson says he had a recent conference call with the presidents of Missouri’s four-year universities, to discuss the status of COVID on college campuses.

“We received updates on the opening of the fall semester, COVID-19 mitigation and testing protocols as well as new and future testing breakthroughs that may be utilized in the near future,” says Parson.

The governor emphasizes that they also discussed the continued willingness of state officials to assist Missouri universities with testing, contact tracing and in obtaining critical resources. He also warns that Missouri continues to see an increase in COVID cases for college-age students.

DHSS reports Missouri has now had 99,160 confirmed COVID cases, along with 1,701 deaths.

7,000 college-age people in Missouri test positive for COVID-19 in August

September 4, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

During August alone, nearly 7,000 college-age people in Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19. At a press conference Thursday at Washington University in St. Louis, Gov. Mike Parson urged young people to take precautions to protect their communities.

“In some Missouri college communities, positivity rates have soared as high as 45% in one day just among the 18-24 population,” said Parson.

7,000 college-age people in Missouri test positive for COVID-19 in August

He said about 30% of Missouri’s positive cases are now among the 18 to 24-year-old age group.

“While young, healthy people are likely to have mild symptoms and quick recoveries that they may unknowingly carry COVID-19 to someone older or with underlying conditions who is not able to fight off the virus. This is why it is so important for young people to take precautions and understand the responsibility they have in the health of their communities,” said Parson.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert says seven states, including Missouri, should be particularly careful over the Labor Day holiday. Dr. Anthony Fauci says if citizens of these states are “careless”, there could be another spike in COVID-19 cases this fall.

In a press release today from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, it says Labor Day will mark six months since state officials were notified of Missouri’s first positive case of the coronavirus.

“People tend to let their guard down during these long holiday weekends,” said DHSS Department Director Dr. Randall Williams. “We don’t want to see people become complacent. We don’t want anyone to contract COVID-19, young or old. There are those that may be considered ‘high risk’ and ‘low risk,’ for adverse outcomes, but there is no population that is at ‘no risk.’”

The department says more than one million Missourians have been tested for the coronavirus, with 8.7% testing positive.

Dr. Williams urges younger Missourians to wear masks and to maintain social distancing

August 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s health director says it’s important to target younger residents with a specific message of the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams at the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City on August 18, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams told Capitol reporters on Tuesday that he had a discussion with White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, about the issue. They also discussed the importance of testing, on Tuesday.

“We talked about the fact that last week, 45 percent of our cases in Missouri were in three counties: St. Louis, Jackson and St. Charles. So for the whole state of 6.1 million, 45 percent were in three counties,” Williams says.

Dr. Williams says it’s crucial for 20 to 30 year-olds to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. He also says staff from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been in St. Louis and Kansas City, helping to battle the pandemic.

DHSS says Missouri has now had 70,675 confirmed COVID cases, up from about 68,000 earlier this week.

The state health director says Missouri ranks 16th in the nation for COVID-19 cases, per 100,000 people. Director Williams says Missouri ranked 14th last week.

“We are 14th in the United States for new cases per 100,000. That’s 14th out of 50 states. And we are 18th for our positivity rate over the last seven days,” says Williams.

Dr. Williams says Missouri’s COVID cases are increasing by about 1,100 per day, lower than the national average of 1,600 per day.

He continues to emphasize the importance of the “box-in” strategy for the state’s long-term care facilities. Dr. Williams says 115,000 tests have been conducted in Missouri long-term care facilities, using that strategy.

The “box-in” testing strategy involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Missouri is one of the 20 states that Dr. Birx has visited in the past six weeks, to provide guidance on COVID-19. She participated in a roundtable discussion with Governor Mike Parson and Cabinet members in Jefferson City on Tuesday. They were joined by health, school and community leaders.

During a press conference in Jefferson City after Tuesday’s roundtable, Dr. Birx emphasized the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. She is also suggesting that Missouri follow Texas’ model, which requires masks in counties with more than 20 cases.

Missouri designates $7.5 million to help schools cover costs of PPE and cleaning

August 9, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

State officials say several million dollars in federal funding will help Missouri schools cover costs of personal protective equipment (PPE).

State Rep. Dr. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, gets ready to speak on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on April 8, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Governor Mike Parson says $7.5 million of the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund has been allocated to a cost-share program with counties, to help Missouri schools cover PPE costs. The money will also help schools cover costs of cleaning and medical supplies for school buildings and buses.

The governor says schools can use relief funds provided under the CARES Act for any COVID-19 related expenses, including PPE costs.

Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven and state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams will testify Tuesday morning in Jefferson City, before the bipartisan House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention.

Committee Chairman State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, tells Missourinet that the number one issue he’s hearing about from his constituents is about school plans. He has a nine-year-old and a six-year-old in public school.

Commissioner Vandeven will be testifying about schools.

Chairman Patterson says that Dr. Williams will testify about the trajectory Missouri is on. Dr. Patterson, a private practice general surgeon, is interested what will happen if/when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed. Patterson wants to know if DHSS has a plan in place.

DHSS says Missouri now has had 58,927 cases. That is up from Friday’s number of 57,379.

Missouri House committee to hear Tuesday testimony from Vandeven and Williams about COVID-19

August 7, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s health director and the education commissioner will both testify Tuesday in Jefferson City before a bipartisan Missouri House Committee that’s related to the coronavirus.

Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 6, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention will meet Tuesday morning at 10:30 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. The committee is chaired by State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, a private practice general surgeon. The committee’s ranking Democrat is State Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia. Kendrick is the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

The committee will be examining the decision by school districts in reopening buildings to students, and will get an update on Missouri’s use of federal CARES Act funding.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri now has 57,379 confirmed cases, up from 55,321 on Wednesday.

Chairman Patterson tells Missourinet that DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams will testify on Tuesday morning, about the trajectory Missouri is on. Dr. Patterson is also interested what will happen if/when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed. Patterson wants to know if DHSS has a plan in place.

Another key part of Tuesday’s hearing will involve Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven, who will testify about schools.

Chairman Patterson notes that he has a nine-year-old and a six-year-old in public school. He says the number one issue he’s hearing about from constituents is about school plans.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson says his office has worked closely with the State Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and DHSS to address questions about reopening.

Earlier this week, DESE and DHSS released updated schoool reopening guidance, which addresses frequently asked questions. DESE and DHSS recommend that local school leaders require school staff members to wear face coverings, “as the data indicates COVID-19 transmission is more likely from adult to student, than from student to adult.”

Contact tracing is also addressed in the report from DESE and DHSS.

Governor Parson says the state is working to help school districts with personal protective equipment (PPE), noting that 1.8 million cloth masks have been made available through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

The governor says DESE and SEMA are currently working to develop a plan to distribute the masks to Missouri school districts.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, announced the committee’s creation earlier this year. Chairman Patterson notes this will be the committee’s second hearing: they met on March 2 and heard testimony from Dr. Williams.

At that time, Dr. Williams testified there had been no confirmed cases in Missouri. About 100 people had been self-monitoring, according to testimony.

Governor Parson says Missouri is one of the states the White House is concerned about, with increasing COVID-19 cases. The governor told Capitol reporters this week that Vice President Mike Pence called him on Sunday, to offer additional assistance and resources to battle the pandemic.