SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) –
Missouri Governor Mike Parson activated the next phases of the COVID-19 vaccination, which includes police and firefighters from Friday, January 15, and people at high health risk on Monday, January 18. January.
“People are eager to know when it will be their turn, but they need to be patient because we are making plans to distribute and vaccinate with something we do not yet have,” explained Dr. Robin Trotman, an infectious disease specialist at CoxHealth.
So while the governor will activate Phase 1B-Level 2 of the state’s vaccination plan on Monday, it comes with a caveat.
“This does not mean that we will immediately hit the ‘GO’ button and start vaccinating people who fall into that level 2 or high-risk individual,” said Taney County Health Director Lisa Marshall. “We don’t have a clear timetable for this because of the availability of the vaccine. Many of us ordered this several weeks ago or possibly last month in December, but there is still a bit of limited supply. “
But what you can do now is start to find out if you qualify as a Level 2 recipient.
The expanded group of qualifiers includes anyone aged 65 or over or adults with any of the following conditions:
Cancer
o Chronic Kidney Disease
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
o Intellectual and / or developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome
o Cardiac conditions, such as heart failure, CAD (coronary artery disease) or cardiomyopathies
the immunocompromised state by solid organ transplantation
o Severe obesity (BMI> 40kg / m2)
o Pregnancy
o Sickle cell disease
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Still to come and not yet activated is Level 3, which involves essential workers. This includes teachers from pre-primary to 12th grade, day care and communication sectors, energy services, food production and distribution (includes grocery and convenience stores), government officials, water and sewage, nuclear reactions, information technology and transportation (includes truck drivers).
Then, its Phase 2, which includes those who are critically affected by the economy and those important for the recovery of the economy, such as manufacturing, finance, higher education teams and the homeless.
Phase 3 involves everyone else who wants a chance.
Something to keep in mind?
“We cannot vaccinate everyone who wants it at all stages before moving on to the next stage,” noted Dr. Trotman. “There will be overlap.”
It is also important to understand that there will be a variety of locations from which you can choose to get the vaccine, from health centers to pharmacies, health departments, community centers and mobile sites recently announced by President-elect Biden.
“It never hurts to see your primary care physician,” said Marshall. “And also just calling to see who will provide this in your community, because each county is a little bit different. It is always good to know what is available in your municipality. “
Many counties already have online registrations for you to apply, no matter what level you are at.
“At the moment, the best thing people can do is basically get on the list so that when we have a vaccine available, we can reach those individuals who want a vaccine and make sure we schedule it,” said Marshall.
In general, there are some important things to remember.
Be patient, don’t expect everything to happen at once, you better go online than trying to make calls and checking a company’s Facebook or other social media site is a great way to find out about vaccination news. offered.
Good luck, stay informed and stay healthy!
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