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First shipments of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Missouri on Monday

Gov. Parson's office said both preparation and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine continue to run according to Missouri's COVID-19 vaccine plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Missouri on Monday. 

On Dec. 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine.

“Today is an exciting day for Missouri as we have received the first of many shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. We have been preparing for many months and will soon begin administering vaccines according to our COVID-19 vaccine plan,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said. “We appreciate the tireless work of our scientists, health care workers, state and private partners, and everyone who has helped get us to this point. It is truly remarkable how far we've come since the start of this pandemic, and we are very encouraged to now have a verifiably safe and effective vaccine.”

Gov. Parson's office said both preparation and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine continue to run according to Missouri's COVID-19 vaccine plan, which was submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in October.

Shipments of the vaccine will continue throughout the week to each of Missouri's 21 initial vaccination sites.

The sites include hospitals and health care facilities across the state. As each vaccination site receives its shipment of vaccines, implementation of Phase 1 of Missouri's COVID-19 vaccine plan will begin.

Gov. Parson also wanted to remind Missourians to continue to practice preventative measures, including social distancing, wearing a mask, hand washing and avoiding large gatherings.

“We are optimistic that this vaccine and future vaccines will provide much needed relief from COVID-19. However, until vaccines are widely available to the public, prevention remains our best weapon against the virus,” Gov. Parson said. “We must stay diligent in our efforts and continue to practice COVID-19 preventive measures.”

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