Missouri Lieutenant Governor issued the following announcement on Jan. 20.
During a briefing at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson announced that the Missouri National Guard will begin assisting the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and other state partners in establishing COVID-19 vaccination sites across the state.
A mass vaccination team will be assigned to each of Missouri's nine Highway Patrol regions.
"The Missouri National Guard is once again answering the call to help Missourians in time of need," said Governor Parson. "The purpose of these vaccination teams is to support our existing vaccinators and provide an additional vaccination source for eligible Missourians that may otherwise have a hard time receiving a vaccine."
The Missouri National Guard is providing teams of Soldiers and Airmen to assist in establishing and staffing mass vaccination and targeted vaccination sites. The National Guard will also be deploying administrative teams to assist local agencies and other providers with data backlogs.
Missouri National Guard mass vaccination teams consist of 30 support personnel, who provide assistance in the form of traffic control, administrative support, and data input. Targeted vaccination teams consist of four-person teams with one vaccinator and three support staff to assist with administrative duties. Administrative support teams consist of three personnel to assist providers with paperwork and data backlogs due to vaccination entry requirements.
“We are proud to be a small part of the whole-of-government effort to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to our fellow Missourians," said Maj. Gen. Levon Cumpton, Missouri National Guard Adjutant General. "This effort is truly a team effort, led by DHSS and consisting of multiple physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, local governments and others.”
A mass vaccination site is scheduled to begin this week in the Southeastern region, and other sites will be operational in the remaining eight Highway Patrol regions by the end of January. These sites have the capability to provide up to 2,500 doses per day, per team. More details concerning dates and locations will be released once finalized.
Targeted vaccination sites provide vaccines to populations outside the reach of mass vaccination sites, as designated by DHSS. Target vaccination teams will work with clergies and community leaders in the Kansas City and St. Louis regions to vaccinate vulnerable populations. Teams staffing these sites have the capability to provide up to 160 doses per day, per team.
Vaccine supply remains extremely limited. Current demand for the vaccine far outweighs the current supply that the state is allotted by the federal government. These mass vaccination and target vaccination sites will ensure that vaccines are being administered as efficiently as possible and that every Missourian will have the opportunity to eventually receive a vaccine regardless of where they live.
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