Columbia to host targeted vaccination event as COVID-19 hospitalizations increase

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is hosting events this week to encourage more people to get vaccinated as local hospital admissions for COVID-19 keep increasing.

The community clinics, including a Wednesday clinic at the city's food truck roundup event, will offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines.

The Columbia/Boone County Health Department is also set to host a mobile vaccination clinic Saturday, making several stops across Boone County including:

• First Baptist Church of Centralia, 101 S. Collier St., Centralia - 9 to 10 a.m.
• North Hampton Apartments, 7000 Buckingham Square, Columbia - 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Gregory Heights Neighborhood, between 2626 and 2650 E. Oakbrook Drive, Columbia - 1 to 2 p.m.
• Clearview Subdivision, the intersection of East Clearview Drive and Clearview Court, Columbia - 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• El Chaparral Neighborhood, 4250 E. Broadway, Columbia - 4 to 5 p.m.

Health officials around the country are pushing for more people to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as vaccination rates have stalled. In Missouri, just 43.7% of adults have gotten at least one shot of coronavirus vaccine, according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard. Average daily vaccinations have dropped from nearly 56,000 in April to fewer than 7,500 as of Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Missouri's most recent State Profile Report from the White House shows a 17% increase in hospital admissions.

Boone County has also seen an increase in hospital admissions, with 48 patients in county hospitals with COVID-19.

Local health department spokeswoman Sara Humm said while hospitalizations are on the rise in Columbia it's important to note that only three of those patients are Boone County residents. Several counties in Mid-Missouri with low vaccination rates are reporting high infection rates, helping propel the state to the No. 1 spot nationwide for new infections to start the week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Humm said with Columbia having a confirmed case of the Delta variant, which appears to spread more easily than other virus variants, makes it even more important to get vaccinated. Humm said having the vaccination substantially lowers the chances of being hospitalized with the virus.

Across the state, 20 hospitals are reporting staff shortages with seven reporting supply shortages.

Check back for updates to this developing story.