Health officials asking people to cancel extra vaccine appointments
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County health officials are asking the public to cancel their unneeded coronavirus vaccine appointments as no-show appointments are becoming increasingly common.
On Friday, the Columbia/Boone County Health Department hosted a mass vaccination clinic with the Missouri National Guard and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The mass vaccination clinic was held at the Columbia Sports Fieldhouse and 2,300 coronavirus vaccine doses were available.
Only 1,802 doses were given out, according to the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.
"Unfortunately, we experienced a large number of people not show up for their appointments," health department spokeswoman Sara Humm said in a Friday news release.
"We ask that if folks sign up at multiple locations that they please be sure to cancel any unneeded appointments ahead of time," Humm said. "This not only simplifies the process for our local vaccinators, but it also helps get vaccine into the arms of people who need it."
According to the release, extra doses will be used for individuals who are homebound or redistributed to vaccinators in Boone County.
Phase 1B, Tier 3 of the state's vaccination eligibility opened up Monday for residents of Missouri. This new tier of eligibility includes the following people in critical infrastructure:
- Education
- Childcare
- Communications infrastructure
- Dams sector
- Energy sector
- Food and agriculture
- Government
- Information technology
- Nuclear reactor sector
- Transportation systems
- Water and wastewater systems
Gov. Mike Parson has said this additional tier will add vaccine eligibility for approximately 550,000 more Missourians. With all of the current tiers open, Parson estimates 3.5 million residents of Missouri are eligible to be vaccinated.
Parson said last month that if all goes well, Phase 2 vaccination eligibility could be expected as soon as 45 days from Monday. This would place the expected date of Phase 2 eligibility on April 29.
According to the state dashboard, 1,787,499 first and second coronavirus vaccine doses have been given out to residents of Missouri. This equates to 19.1% of the population who have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 10.4% of the population who are completely vaccinated.
In Boone County, just over 64,000 doses of the vaccine have been given out and 23.2% of the population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the dashboard.
Boone County has the fifth-highest county vaccination rate in the state. The lowest county is Pulaski County with 6.6% of the county receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
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