JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri will be getting more COVID-19 vaccines later in December, Missouri health department Director Randall Williams announced during a press conference with Governor Mike Parson.
The state will receive an initial 51,000 doses from Pfizer this month.
Williams announced on Thursday that Missouri will get an additional 64,000 from Pfizer and 105,000 from Moderna, which are scheduled to arrive around Dec. 21.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital will administer 10,000 doses to health care workers in the first 10 days the vaccines are available, Williams said.
With the extra 64,000 doses from Pfizer, Williams said the state has entered into an agreement with the CDC and Walgreens and CVS. On Dec. 21, the state will work with Walgreens and CVS to vaccinate all long term care facility staff and residents. Williams said this is new as on Tuesday the CDC announced
There are 58,000 residents in long term care facilities, Williams said.
On Tuesday, the CDC advisory panel voted 13-1 to recommend priority be given to health care workers and nursing home residents when the first COVID-19 vaccine shots become available.
"So thanks to this new allotment, we will start vaccinating and finish vaccinating, we think, by mid January, mid-January, all our long term care facility and staff and think we're on track to vaccinate all our 300,000 health care workers by the end of January," Williams said.
Gov. Parson said it will still be "some time" before a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available to the public.
"Until that time comes, the best weapon we have against COVID-19 is still prevention. We must continue to be responsible and take precautions to slow the spread, especially over the holiday season. Again, this means social distance wearing a mask, minimize travel, avoid large gatherings and limit interactions to 15 minutes," Gov. Parson said.
"Everyone is affected, every community is at risk, and we all have a part to play in getting through this."
WHAT DOES THE VACCINE DO?
The information below is according to Missouri's COVID-19 vaccine website
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine candidates use messenger RNA (mRNA) to encourage your cells to initiate an immune response to COVID-19. You rely on proteins every day to keep your body healthy. Our bodies use mRNA to tell our cells which proteins to make, which are antibodies in this case. Vaccines that use mRNA are typically quicker and easier to produce, which has helped accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine process.
The ingredients used in the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are simple. They contain mRNA, as well as lipids to ensure safe delivery of the mRNA that will initiate an immune response. Although FDA approved adjuvants (aluminum salts) and preservatives (ethlymercury) have a history of safe use in vaccines, they were not used by Pfizer and Moderna in this vaccine technology.
The state's website also has more information with frequently asked questions about the vaccine, click here for more information.