Vaccine deliveries increase to Missouri, but still less than half of previous allocations

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After a few weeks of a drop in demand, Missouri is seeing an increase in requests for vaccine doses across the state, including here in Mid-Missouri.

Local vaccinators such as Capitol Region Medical Center said this comes as kids as young as 12 are now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

Missouri received 57,000 doses of the vaccine for the week of April 26, but the following week demand dropped by more than 36,000 when Missouri received just 20,620 doses.

For the week of May 10, Missouri providers received just 12,660 vaccine doses. However, Missouri saw an increase again this week, receiving 19,620 doses. However, that number is still less than half of Missouri's allocation the week of April 26.

Denis Hamilton, the director of pharmacy services at Capitol Regional Medical Center said, he expects to see a larger increase in demand as summer approaches.

"For the most part in our area the schools will be out for summer break, so I know I talked to a lot of folks that are actually going to have their children vaccinated Monday or Thursday of next week," Hamilton said.

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is the sole provider in Boone County to request doses this week. After nearly a month of opting out of getting doses, the health department requested 1,170 Pfizer doses.

According to the state's vaccine dashboard, 40% of the population in Missouri has initiated vaccination, and more than 33% has completed vaccination.