INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Organizers of a COVID-19 vaccination event in Independence, Missouri, hope to administer more than 1,000 doses per day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The city, National Guard and State Emergency Management Agency are collaborating to pull off the three-day event.
Vaccinations take place inside the old Macy’s department store at the Independence Center Mall. The City of Independence has been distributing vaccines from the location for several weeks.
Mayor Eileen Weir said the city’s health department administered roughly 4,000 vaccines in March. It hopes to eclipse 15,000 vaccines in April.
Appointments are required. Any Missouri resident can register on the state’s vaccine navigator and the state will notify you if you’ve received an appointment.
Weir said the vaccine site is made possible because the city re-established its own, standalone health department late last year instead of collaborating with Jackson County.
“When this [pandemic] occurred, we recognized we need more help,” Weir pointed out. “The community needs more help. There needs to be more capacity to be able to do testing, tracing, and back then, anticipating vaccines would become available.”
A group of volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps of Greater Kansas City helps administer vaccines for the city. It is currently looking for more volunteers, especially people with bilingual and medical skills.
