State Vaccination Teams Surpass One-Quarter Million Vaccines Administered to Missourians
APRIL 6, 2021
Jefferson City — State of Missouri vaccination teams supporting mass and targeted vaccination events across the state have now administered more than one-quarter million vaccines to Missourians. This total is in addition to vaccines administered by high throughput health centers, local public health agencies, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, and other community enrolled providers.
“Our state teams have been working nonstop, week after week on this unprecedented statewide vaccination effort,” Governor Mike Parson said. “SEMA, DHSS, and the National Guard have been an essential part of our plan to rapidly get shots into arms. Whether in a small town or a massive parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium, these dedicated men and women have adapted to every situation to meet the needs of Missourians. We could not be more proud of the outstanding work of our state teams along with our local partners, medical professionals, first responders, and numerous other volunteers.”
As of Saturday, April 3, 2021, teams led by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Missouri National Guard, supported by other Missouri Department of Public Safety divisions and the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), have vaccinated more than 258,000 Missourians at state-supported mass and targeted vaccination events. This total includes the one-dose Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The milestone was achieved following a seven-day span in which more than 300,000 total vaccine doses were administered through state delivery channels – the highest seven-day total to date. This includes vaccines administered by mass and targeted vaccination teams, high throughput health centers, local public health agencies, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, and other community enrolled providers. To date, more than 1.7 million Missourians have initiated vaccination and nearly 1.1 million have been fully vaccinated.
“Only with incredible teamwork and coordination with local health departments, hospitals, medical providers, emergency managers, and selfless volunteers would this accomplishment been possible,” SEMA Director Jim Remillard said. “The state teams and our local partners have adapted and labored to get vaccines to the distant parts of our state, the elderly, and the people most vulnerable to the virus in urban areas who may have limited access to health care.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our Soldiers, Airmen, interagency teammates, and the local health professionals we are working alongside, said Major General Levon Cumpton, Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard. “While we celebrate this important milestone, we will continue the COVID fight, and be ready to support this mission as long as we are needed.”
The first mass vaccination event was a pilot on January 22 in Poplar Bluff. Through April 3, the state’s mass vaccination teams had conducted a total of 185 vaccine clinics. The three largest multi-day state vaccination events include the following:
- March 25-27: 9,125 vaccinations in three days at Family Arena in St. Charles
- March 19-20: 7,270 vaccinations in two days at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City
- March 25-26: 6,641 vaccinations in two days at St. Louis Community College – Forest Park in St. Louis
A state-supported vaccine event will also take place at Missouri State University in Springfield on Thursday, April 8 and Friday, April 9.
The largest single-day of vaccinations was at Arrowhead in Kansas City where 3,695 people were vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on March 20. As of April 3, targeted vaccination teams have conducted a total of 131 vaccine clinics. The first targeted vaccination team event was held on January 29.
Mass vaccination teams consist of 30 support National Guard personnel who provide assistance in the form of traffic control, administrative support, and data input. Targeted vaccination teams consist of four-person teams with one vaccinator and three support staff to assist with administrative duties and provide vaccines to populations outside the reach of the larger mass vaccination sites. Targeted vaccination teams work with clergy and community leaders in the Kansas City and St. Louis regions to vaccinate vulnerable populations.
Mass and targeted vaccination teams were established to reach areas with limited access to health care. Mass vaccination teams were sent to each of Missouri’s nine regions in partnership with local health care agencies.
As vaccine allocations to the state have increased, the strategy for targeted events has evolved to reach more people. At the start, targeted vaccination teams had just one team in Kansas City and one team in St. Louis. There are now eight targeted teams – four in the Kansas City area and four in the St. Louis area. The mass vaccination team strategy has also been adjusted to provide more support for regions with higher populations.
Missourians interested in receiving a vaccine at a state-supported event are encouraged to use the state's Vaccine Navigator or call the state's COVID-19 hotline at (877) 435-8411 to register. Missourians can also visit MOStopsCOVID.com/events to find additional vaccinators in their area.