SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) –
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has triggered the following phases of COVID-19 vaccinations, including police and firefighters starting Friday, January 15, and those at high health risks on Monday, January 18.
“People are concerned about when their turn will be, but people have to be patient as we plan to spread and vaccinate with something that we don’t have yet,” explains Dr. Robin Trotman, a CoxHealth Infectious Disease Specialist.
So while the governor will activate phase 1B level 2 of the state’s vaccination plan on Monday, there is a caveat to it.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to immediately hit the ‘GO’ button and vaccinate people who are in that level 2 or high risk,” said Lisa Marshall, Taney County health director. “We don’t have a clear timeline for that because of the availability of vaccines. Many of us ordered this a few weeks ago or maybe even last month in December, but there is still a bit of limited supply. “
But what you can do now is find out if you qualify as a Tier 2 recipient.
The extended group of qualifiers includes anyone aged 65 and over or adults with any of the following conditions:
cancer
o Chronic kidney disease
o COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
o Intellectual and / or developmental disorders such as Down’s syndrome
o Heart conditions such as heart failure, CAD (coronary heart disease) or cardiomyopathies
o Immunocompromised state due to an organ transplant
o Severe obesity (BMI> 40 kg / m2)
o Pregnancy
o Sickle cell disease
o Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Still to come and not yet activated is Tier 3, which involves key workers. That includes pre-K-12th grade teachers, childcare workers and sectors of communications, energy services, food production and distribution (including grocery and convenience stores), government officials, water and wastewater, nuclear responses, information technology, and transportation (including truck drivers).
Then stage 2 includes those who are critically impacted by the economy and those important to the recovery of the economy, such as manufacturing, finance, higher education workforce, and the homeless.
Phase 3 then includes all others who want a recording.
Anything to keep in mind?
“We can’t vaccinate everyone who wants it at every stage before moving on to the next stage,” noted Dr. Trotman. “There will be overlap.”
It’s also important to understand that there will be a variety of places you can choose from to get the vaccine, from health care facilities to pharmacies and health departments to community centers and mobile sites just announced by President-elect Biden.
“It never hurts to contact your doctor,” Marshall said. ‘And just give us a call to see who is going to take care of it in your community, because every province is just a little bit different. It is always good to know what is available in your country. “
Many countries already have online registrations that you can apply to no matter what level you are at.
“Right now, the best thing people can do is actually get on the list so that when we do have a vaccine available, we can get in touch with those who want a vaccine and make sure we get it on schedule. , ”said Marshall.
In general, there are some important things to remember.
Be patient, don’t expect everything to happen all at once, better getting online than trying to call and checking a company’s Facebook or other social media site is a great way to find out what’s the latest about vaccinations. offered.
Good luck, stay tuned and stay healthy!
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