Missouri moving to vaccine allocation by ‘eligible population’ while leaders expect sharp rise in doses
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
State health leaders are transitioning the allocation model of the coronavirus vaccine from the overall population to the eligible population by the end of March.
Information about the plan was shared during a meeting with vaccine distributors and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Tuesday afternoon.
Tier 3 of the state's vaccination plan will make 550,000 Missourians eligible starting on March 15.
The Director of the Division of Community & Public Health Adam Crumbliss said the shift will happen by the week of March 29.
"It's really based again on, now that we are moving into more of the general population, we feel like we really need to start focusing on our numbers on the unvaccinated that are in open and eligible populations.
The current strategy is based on the overall population, providing doses to regions based on the capacity to administer the vaccine in proportion to the total population.
DHSS says the "eligible population" strategy is backed by data to create a more targeted approach to vaccine distribution. The data is gathered and provided to the state by Deliotte
Crumbliss said part of the move is to prevent people from having to travel to other areas to get the vaccine, saying several people have been driving to more rural vaccine events to get the vaccine.
"When we have had events that have been largely filled with individuals from outside of the region we are targeting the vaccine, it leaves a gap of vaccine delivery in those rural communities, and so we have to look at possibly doing more events there to help cover the demand," Crumbliss said.
In Mid-Missouri, total vaccine allocation will go down from 8 percent to 7 percent. Assistant Director of the Columbia/Boone County Health Department Scott Clardy said he isn't worried about the decrease with more doses of vaccines coming to the state soon.
"I don't know if it will be a decrease in overall vaccine amount, in fact, it might even be an increase even though it's a smaller percentage," Clardy said. "It's minimal at worst and at best."
Director of the Cole County Health Department (CCHD) Kristi Campbell said they haven’t received a new number for what Region F will receive after the change. According to CCHD, the region made up of 13 counties is being allocated 800 doses for the 13 counties.
We work together to divide up the vaccine based on need and clinic availability for vaccinations. It looks like our regional allocation will only change by 1%. We will work collectively with our partners in Cole County to distribute whatever vaccine we receive.
Kristi Campbell, Cole County Health Department
Missouri's health department is expecting a large spike in vaccine coming into the state by the end of March into the middle of April, as President Joe Biden continues to be optimistic about having enough vaccine for every adult by the end of May.
Crumbliss said the governor said phase two of the activation plan would be activated within 45 days of March 15.
"If the supply chain continues to grow as we are seeing the president's optimism on, that we could move very quickly into that phase two and/or phase three," Crumbliss said.
Gov. Mike Parson's Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Knodell said he and the governor had a call with the White House today about the increasing amount of vaccine.
"The biggest supply increase that we will see will be in the Johnson & Johnson, in terms of what will be coming into the state," Knodell said. "The Pfizer and Moderna increases will continue to be modest but steady."
Clardy said the increase in vaccines will be a good thing for the area, especially as thousands of people continue to become eligible for the vaccine.
He said right now, the department is still asking people to see out the vaccine. Once more becomes available, he said the department may be able to start going out to do their own clinics with employers and other groups.
"It just depends on how much we get, and I don't know what that number is," Clardy said. "If we get enough to do that we absolutely will do it, that's the more efficient for everybody, that's why we do that model with the flu vaccines because it works so well."
