Missouri ranks last in residents receiving first COVID-19 vaccine
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri is lagging behind in coronavirus vaccination numbers, with the CDC COVID-19 Data Tracker showing the state has the lowest percentage of its population vaccinated.
As of Monday, only 4% of Missourians have received their first dose of the vaccination.
As a total, the nation has given the first dose of the vaccine to 5.6% of all residents. Alaska has vaccinated around 10.8% of its residents.
Missouri's marks aren't all bad -- the state ranks higher than the national average for distributing its second dose.
The national average for the second dose of the vaccine is at 1% compared to 1.2% of Missourians who have received both doses. The CDC says the state has received more than 640,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine and administered 318,000 doses. State health officials warn that reporting of administered doses lags behind and isn't an accurate reflection of real-life conditions.
Nancy Moen, a Boone County resident, said she and her husband are registered with both MU Health and Boone Hospital Center, but they continue to wait.
Moen has been a resident of Boone County since 1974 and she said, "just like all states, Missouri has had a year to plan for this."
Missouri counties continue to wait for more coronavirus vaccine doses. Meanwhile, the Missouri National Guard is planning more than two dozen mass vaccination clinics around the state to increase the numbers.
The first opened on Friday in Poplar Bluff. Gov. Mike Parson said Monday that 27 clinics are now planned.
The sites are planned in each of the nine Missouri State Highway Patrol regions, possibly opening this week.
MU Health Care opened the Walsworth Columns Club at Faurot Field on Monday as a mass vaccination site and will be using it vaccinate more than 1,000 people each day as supply becomes available.
Supply still seems to be the leading issue throughout the state and nation.
Moen said she considers this to be a crisis communication failure throughout the state, and she blames the governor for this lack of preparation because there was no state wide overview.
"Our leadership has not moved forward, has not given numbers, and we have so little communication, shame on them," said Moen.
"At this point, vaccine supply is our limiting factor," Boone Hospital Center spokesman Ben Cornelius said.
"We have plans and processes in place to stand up a vaccination clinic once supplies become available," he said.
Boone County is not expecting to receive any additional vaccinations from the state this week, Cornelius said.
Boone County's health department, like others around the state, is asking residents to sign up through a survey to get updates about vaccine availability.
Check back for updates to this developing story and watch ABC 17 News at 5 and 6 p.m.
