MU Health vaccinates over 2,000 in first coronavirus shot clinic
COLUMBIA, MO (KMIZ)
At 3 p.m. Thursday, MU Health vaccinated 1,300 people so far at its mass vaccination clinic at Faurot Field.
The hospital vaccinated 2,056 people by the end of day Thursday and plans to vaccinate another 2,000 people on Saturday.
Brad Myers the Executive Director of Pharmacy and Lab Services at the University of Missouri Health Care, says so far people coming in for vaccinations have been in and out within an average of 15 minutes. The hospital has a post-vaccine station located at the site where those who have received the vaccine can be monitored for any symptoms or complications. Myers says so far there have been no side effects or health complications with people receiving the vaccine at the clinic.
First doses of the Moderna vaccine are being administered to citizens that are in the Phase 1B Tier 2 category organized by the state. The clinic is appointment only, those looking to receive the vaccine must register on MU Health Care's website to get on the list.
The hospital will work off of their waiting list system to get people scheduled for the mass vaccination clinic on Saturday. Myers says if there are any no-shows to the event they will use those extra doses and contact people off of the waiting list to arrive within 30 minutes to receive the vaccine. The hospital ensures that no vaccine doses will go to waste.
Myers said anyone who was on the waiting list and did not receive the vaccine during this clinic will be guaranteed an invitation to the hospital's next mass vaccination clinic taking place during the week of February 15th.
The state has already allocated 4,000 Moderna vaccine doses to MU Health Care to host another vaccination clinic during the week of February 15th. MU Health Care is still working out the details and scheduling as to what days they plan to host the clinic. Myers said it could take place on a Friday and Sunday.
Moving forward, MU Health Care plans to collaborate with the Columbia Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department to work through their vaccine waiting list and get those people vaccinated.
"The health department has a list of citizens that has signed up for the vaccine, one of the things we want to work on is how do we merge those lists together so that we have on list and then two we’ll work on how does that look at a resource standpoint, how do we cooperate to share resources between facilities.”, said Myers.
Myers reminds the public that as long as you are scheduled for an appointment there is a vaccine dose available for you. Doses have been assigned for each person coming in for an appointment during the vaccination clinic. Myers said if you have an appointment there's no need to arrive more than 15 minutes before your appointment, as it causes a backlog for the check-in station when people arrive too early.
