The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is partnering with Senator Roy Blunt to promote vaccination in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) targeting southwest Missouri where the Delta variant of the COVID-19 has been especially widespread.
“Now it's pretty much everywhere in the state, but it was initially in southwest Missouri so our thought was seeing if we can have somebody who is from that area, who is very well-respected, to pass the positive message of vaccination along would be helpful,” said Brendan Cossette, chief operating officer of the Missouri Chamber. "We were fortunate enough that Senator Blunt agreed to do the PSA and we hope it helps get shots in arms.”
The Missouri Chamber has not announced a position on vaccine passports.
“I'm skeptical that we would have a statewide vaccine mandate or a state employee vaccine mandate,” Cossette told the St. Louis Record. “I think the likelihood of vaccine passports becoming a common thing in Missouri is probably small.”
While the Missouri Chamber’s COVID Stops Here campaign began on Aug. 1, some 5.3 million Missourians have been vaccinated with either one or two doses, according to the state’s vaccination dashboard.
“We've heard nothing but positive feedback from businesses and individuals around the state and there's a number of other really strong health organizations throughout the state that are pushing vaccine messages directed towards the wider public,” Cossette said. “This is our way to play our part.”
COVID Stops Here is also honoring businesses that have achieved widespread immunizations as part of the pro-vaccination campaign.
The campaign provides signage to businesses for each of three tiers, which include gold for employers with 90% of employees vaccinated, silver for employers with 80% of employees vaccinated, and bronze for employers with 70% of employees vaccinated.
So far, some 200 employers are now taking part in COVID Stops Here across the state.
“There's no doubt that vaccines work or at least help the situation and it gives a level of comfort to the other employees in an office and to customers if they know that a particular place of business has achieved a high vaccination rate among its employees,” Cossette added. “We thought this campaign would be a good way to help incentivize that behavior. We're really pleased with the success so far."
A new call to ban private sector COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Missouri prompted Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Daniel P. Mehan to release the following statement about protecting the right to mandate the coronavirus vaccine.
“Vaccination is the key to Missouri’s economic recovery. Getting vaccinated is good for business, good for public health and it’s the only way Missouri can begin to put this pandemic behind us. Private employers in Missouri have helped lead the push for COVID-19 vaccination in Missouri — a recent Missouri Chamber survey found that 83 percent of Missouri employers are encouraging their staff members to get vaccinated. In some cases, businesses have taken the step to mandate vaccination in order to ensure the safety of their workforce and customers. The Missouri Chamber stands against attempts to place reckless new restrictions on the state’s business community. Employers have long had the ability to mandate vaccinations and the Missouri Chamber believes all employers should continue to have this right when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine. An employer’s ability to mandate vaccination is supported by state law, federal law, and the courts. While there are encouraging signs that vaccination is on the rise in Missouri, we need this trend to continue as we work to contain the Delta-variant outbreak. We don’t need new roadblocks to recovery. We continue to strongly encourage Missourians to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, their communities, and our economic recovery.”