Missouri health officials announce vaccine distribution plan

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Select hospitals across Missouri will receive just over half of the state’s weekly allocation of COVID-19 vaccinations in February in an effort to achieve consistent and effective distribution, state health officials said Monday.

The hospitals have the capacity to each administer 5,000 vaccine doses per week but the number of vaccines the hospitals receive will be determined by population in the region. Weekly vaccine delivery will rotate between the hospitals and their partners, according to a news release from the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services.

“The hospitals included in the first phase of this plan were selected for their ability to rapidly begin community vaccination efforts on a large scale,” said Herb Kuhn, president and CEO of the hospital association. “Beginning (Monday) – and continuing as vaccines arrive in the days and weeks ahead – hospitals will be sharing how community members can sign up for their vaccine.”

The state will send 53% of its nearly 76,000 weekly vaccine doses to the hospitals. Another 23% will go to regional mass vaccination events in partnership with local groups and the Missouri National Guard. Another 8% will be allocated to local public health agencies, and another 8% will go to federally qualified health centers.

The remaining 8% will go to any other enrolled providers, or “community providers,” asking for the vaccine. Hospitals not included on the list released Monday are considered community providers. The list of providers will expand as the state receives more vaccine.

In St. Louis County, restaurants, bars and banquet centers can now stay open an hour later, until 11 p.m., due to a continued decline in cases, County Executive Sam Page announced Sunday.

Establishments were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity earlier this month after being closed to indoor dining since mid-November. Until Monday, closing time was 10 p.m.

As of Monday, Missouri has reported 459,597 confirmed cases of the virus, and 6,748 deaths.

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