MU Health care to shift focus, as mass vaccination clinics close
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Faurot Field will host its last COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic Thursday, as MU Health Care says they will now shift their focus to smaller outreach clinics in primary care clinics.
Brad Myers with MU Health Care said the hope is that in bringing the vaccine closer to residents, they will be able to vaccinate those who were unable to attend the larger mass vaccination events.
Myers also said this adds a level of trust to the vaccine unachievable in mass clinics, with residents able to receive the vaccine from their primary care physician.
"There tends to be a lot of trust between community members and physicians so if we can take the vaccine to the physicians locations, we feel like there is going to be some opportunity." Myers said, "If it’s 5,000 vaccines at Faurot Field or we give 50 at one of our clinics we still feel like we can provide value to our community."
MU Health Care will offer vaccinations at different locations Tuesdays - Fridays:
- Tuesdays 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- South Providence Medical Building, 551 E Southampton Dr., Columbia
- Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Mizzou Pharmacy-Smiley Lane, 2325 Smiley Lane, Columbia
- Thursdays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
- Mizzou Pharmacy-Battle Avenue, 7115 E St. Charles Rd., Columbia
- Fridays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Fulton Family Health, 2613 Fairway Dr., Suite C, Fulton
Appointments can be made by calling the COVID-19 vaccine call center at 573-771-CARE (2273). The call center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Storage is an issue, with transporting vaccines out to primary care clinics.
Myers said the health care system is at an advantage by having a centered distribution process saying, "We store the vaccine in one location then the day of the clinic we can distribute the vaccine from our central location to the individual clinics."
Sara Humm with the Columbia/Boone County Health Department said it will also now focus on smaller outreach clinics and have even held polls asking residents for locations to set up clinics, this summer.
