COVID-19 Vaccine

Federal officials each week tell states how many vaccine doses they will receive. After that, state officials direct the shipments to hospitals, health departments and other vaccination sites. But that number can vary by thousands of doses each week, and vaccinators get little notice of how many doses to expect. That makes it difficult to make appointments for the millions of people now eligible to receive the vaccine in Missouri.

There will be nine National Guard teams deployed throughout the state, one for each of Missouri’s Highway Patrol regions, and each team can vaccinate up to 2,500 people per day depending on supply.

County health centers and St. Louis-area hospital systems have launched online forms where people can pre-register to receive coronavirus vaccinations.

The St. Charles County Department of Public Health kicked off a vaccination effort Tuesday by giving doses of the coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and emergency personnel. Officials will use the Family Arena over the next seven weeks to vaccinate those who work or live in St. Charles County.

Black pastors in the St. Louis region are worried that some members of their congregations will not get the coronavirus vaccine because they are wary of it. Some preachers are using their online services and social media channels to encourage members to take the vaccine.

County health departments in the St. Louis area plan to use these pre-registration sites as a key tool for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Community members shared how their lives are beginning to change and what they’re looking forward to the most, now that they’ve received the vaccine. St. Louis Public Radio health reporter Sarah Fentem also fielded questions about the vaccine rollout.

At least 818 nursing home residents tested positive for the coronavirus in St. Louis County nursing homes in December. That’s about 200 fewer infections than were reported in November.

Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday that law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other emergency workers are eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Missourians 65 or older or those with chronic health conditions will be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine starting next week.

Weeks into Missouri's vaccine distribution, workers at independent clinics wonder where they fall in line. They describe having to broker their own deals with large hospitals and health departments to find doses, with little guidance from state officials.