Missouri leaders committed to coronavirus vaccination plan despite teacher criticism
JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KMIZ)
Missouri leaders reiterated their commitment to the state's coronavirus vaccination plan and the lack of current vaccinations for teachers Thursday.
Teachers' groups have pleaded for educators to be moved up in the vaccine line in Missouri. The scrutiny has grown as some states have begun vaccinating teachers. Meanwhile, political officials from the president down are pushing for schools to reopen.
Many teachers say that shouldn't happen until teachers are vaccinated. However, students in most Missouri districts have been back in classrooms for months.
Gov. Mike Parson said at his weekly coronavirus briefing Thursday that about 3 million Missourians are eligible for vaccination in the current phase of the state's vaccination plan. About 666,430 Missourians have received their first dose of vaccine, according to the state's coronavirus dashboard.
Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below.
"The quicker we can vaccinate those in our activated phases, the sooner we can activate the next tier," Parson said. "It will take time, so we ask that everyone remain patient throughout this process. I assure you that we will give every Missourian who wants a vaccine the opportunity to get one."
Missouri is vaccinating people in Tiers 1 and 2 of Phase 1B in the state plan. Those groups include people with certain health conditions and those over age 65. Educators become eligible in the next tier.
Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, said in response to a question about moving teachers up that the state remains committed to vaccinating the people most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Williams said each morning he looks at the number of seniors who have been vaccinated.
"Those people who are more likely to get sick and ... to pass away if they get COVID continues to be the governor’s focus and my focus," Williams said.
The administration also released guidance this week discouraging vaccinations for out-of-state residents except in some circumstances. The proximity of major metro areas to other states makes such guidance important to keeping more doses for Missouri residents, Parson said.
Vaccine dose allocations from the federal government are based on state populations.
Parson responded to the concern from educators on his Twitter account ahead of the briefing. He tweeted that he hears the concerns of educators but that the state may not immediately change the current plan.
"Right now, Missouri must remain committed to protecting the more than 3 million senior citizens, health care providers, first responders, and those with underlying health conditions who are currently eligible for the vaccine," Parson said in a tweet.
The governor added that his daughter is also a teaher.
Recent winter storms have canceled vaccination events across the state. Parson said Thursday that vaccine doses from those events were sent to health care providers in the communities where those events were scheduled.
The mass clinics will be rescheduled, he said.
Parson encouraged citizens to get registered to receive the vaccine, on the state's new Missouri Vaccine Navigator site.
