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Parson says Missouri won't change vaccine plan despite state-funded report showing urban areas lagging

Despite a state-funded report showing urban areas are far behind because of supply shortages, Governor Parson says the plan will not change

ST. LOUIS — Missouri Governor Mike Parson visited three spots in St. Louis Thursday morning. He first stopped at Pfizer's Chesterfield facility, then toured a vaccination clinic at Cambridge Senior Living in St. Louis and wrapped up at Christian Hospital Northwest.

During press events at both Cambridge Senior Living and Christian Hospital Northwest, as well as the COVID-19 briefing from Jefferson City, Governor Parson defended the state's vaccine rollout plan.

The Missouri Independent released a state-commissioned report showing, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County were labeled as vaccine deserts. 

With the Johnson and Johnson vaccine added to the mix, Governor Parson told the gathering outside of Cambridge Senior Living, that he thinks in the next two months, most Missourians will be able to get a vaccine. 

"If this vaccine keeps picking up, we are going to be OK," he said.

But will St. Louis and surrounding areas be able to get enough supply to meet demand? 

The Missouri Independent uncovered a Deloitte report, paid for by the State of Missouri, which put St. Louis County, St. Charles County and the City of St. Louis in the top five areas where people who qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine are unable to get one.

The report also highlighted St. Louis as an area with a "High number of vaccine deserts."

Despite the findings, Governor Parson is not changing the state's vaccine distribution plan. He said as much in his Thursday afternoon briefing from Jefferson City.

"It's not going to change tomorrow. We are going to stay on schedule with this vaccine, the way we've done it from the beginning," he said.

Governor Parson said the reason the St. Louis area numbers are so dismal because the population is higher.

"It's going to take longer to get through the process, just simply because of the population. We know that. But the proportionate of the population has been the same since October when we drew up the plan, there's no difference," he said.

The Governor suggested the reason St. Louis and surrounding areas are showing a wide gap in vaccine supply and demand is because people within the region are traveling to other counties to get a vaccine. 

Governor Parson also visited Pfizer's facility in Chesterfield this morning. He told 5 On Your Side every Missourian should be proud of the work being done there.

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