KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In about two weeks, Missouri teachers will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Children's Mercy Hospital and Truman Medical Center will be key players in the vaccination process for teachers in Jackson County.
Dr. Jennifer Watts, medical director of emergency management at Children's Mercy Hospital, said the hospital has been vaccinating teachers and child care providers on the Kansas side for several weeks now.
"We were happy to hear the Governor has allowed us to go ahead and vaccinate teachers on the Missouri side too," Watts said.
Watts said Children's Mercy is currently working with the Jackson County Health Department and school districts in the county to plan how the process will work.
"I do not know exactly what the Missouri side is going to look like because this was just announced at the end of last week," Watts said. "I can tell you that those conversations are ongoing and everybody is figuring out the best way to meet the needs of the teachers."
Yaw Obeng, superintendent of the Hickman Mills School District, said the district's mass vaccine plan for teachers is already in place.
"We're just waiting for the word in order to send our staff over and get it done," Obeng said.
Obeng said the district has been planning for several months and has a location selected as well as logistics like entrances and exits. The district will work with Truman Medical Center on the vaccination process.
In the meantime, the district has been using other vendors to vaccinate teachers in eligible tiers up until this point.
The district has been in virtual learning since August. Obeng said getting teachers vaccinated is a step toward bringing students back to the classroom.
"We're all excited, and I know students are excited, they're ready to get back so let's make it happen and we can start to resume back to as much as normal as possible of education for our students," Obeng said.
If given enough supply, Obeng said it should only take a day to get everyone vaccinated who wants to be. He said the district is not concerned about a significant amount of sick calls from teachers considering vaccine reaction, but it will have substitutes standing by to be prepared.
Watts said the next two weeks will be about finalizing plans and details so that vaccinations can begin as soon as possible.
"I think all of our goal is to get people vaccinated as quick as possible, as soon as we get it we will get it into people's arms," Watts said.
