KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri will receive an initial shipment of more than 339,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine according to the state's top health official.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams said the first shipment is expected by the end of December, however, who can receive these doses will be limited at first.
“With all of that alone, we should be able to move through all of our long-term care residents, staff and health care providers," Williams said.
Missouri's vaccination plan is still pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Phase 1A would begin by the end of the month if the plan is approved by the FDA, but there are stipulations surrounding the vaccine.
“You have to have the ability to vaccinate everybody you get a vaccine for in 10 days. So if you say I can only vaccinate 1,000 people in 10 days, 100 people a day, that’s the only vaccine you’re allowed. Operation Warp Speed will not allow you to hoard it," Williams said.
Missouri would move to phase 1B by February according to Williams, which would allow for 3 million more Missourians to be vaccinated. This phase would include essential workers like first responders, teachers and child care workers.
By July or August, Williams said he expects anyone in Missouri to be able to receive the vaccination if they want to.
“We just feel like by July or August, we’re going to be in a much, much better place here in Missouri and anticipating that things like schools and universities and events and conventions and all those things will be in a much, much better place. As senator Blunt said yesterday, and the governor, every person that gets vaccinated, we’re one step closer, so that’s our mission," Williams said.
The doses that will be sent are the first of two needed. Operation Warp Speed would send the second dose at a later date according to Williams. That means each initial dose received by the state would go to a patient.
“Whenever we give you a number, understand Operation Warp Speed is holding back an equal amount in reserve to send us either three weeks later for the Pfizer or four weeks later for the Moderna," Williams said.
Williams said that Missouri has been considered a leader in the vaccination effort and announced Friday that he will be visiting the White House on Tuesday to present Missouri's plans.
