Moderna Archives - Missourinet

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’s next shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to be short thousands of doses

December 17, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri is getting fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week than expected. The second shipment was supposed to include enough doses to vaccinate about 64,000 health care workers. During a Capitol briefing in Jefferson City, state Health and Senior Services Department Director Randall Williams says the federal government is giving Missouri about 25% to 30% fewer doses in its next shipment.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters on July 14, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“This is not unanticipated that when you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of vaccine – and by February we may well have two more according to Dr. Slaoui – there are going to be different developments,” says Dr. Williams.

If you do the math, that is about 16,000 to 19,000 fewer vials of vaccine headed to the Show-Me State during the week of Christmas.

“We just learned a very short time ago that we’re going to be receiving a little bit less of our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I’ve got a call into Gen. Perna to figure out why that it. It’s not a drastic amount but it’s a little bit smaller,” says Williams.

General Gustave Perna heads Operation Warp Speed, a national effort to fast track the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, The New York Times reported Pfizer could not promise to get the U.S. more than the initial doses agreed to after the Trump administration failed to reach a deal offered by the drug maker over the summer for extra doses.

The Washington Post reports Pfizer and the Trump administration are working a deal to help make millions of doses for the country next year.

Earlier this week, Missouri received its first shipment of 51,000 doses. According to Gov. Mike Parson’s office, nearly 1,000 Missouri health care workers have already received their first round of the COVID-19 vaccination. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots over about a three-week period.

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.