Coping with COVID: Missouri, Kansas vaccination distribution plans to serve healthcare workers first

Established statewide plans for how the first COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed reveals healthcare workers will be the first to receive the shot, both in Missouri and Kansas.

Although a viable COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been released to the public, vaccines submitted for FDA approval by companies such as AztraZeneca and Moderna indicate one is soon on the way.

Health care workers, in particular, health care workers on the front lines and in long term care facilities or with health risks of their own, will the first ones in Kansas and Missouri to have the chance to be vaccinated.

Both states said that there is a “strong likelihood of limited vaccine availability” in the first phase.

In the past, cost has been a concern for some about getting any vaccination.

“It’s free, so we can take cost off the page. So if you want a vaccine in Missouri, you’ll be able to get it for free,” said Dr. Randall Williams, Missouri’s health director.

It’s the same in Kansas. People 65 and older will also be high on the list, and others in high-risk categories. Kansas also has a provision for its tribal nations.

Missouri’s plan notes some of the criteria include lessening the stress on the health care system and accelerating the economic recovery. The second tier in both states will include first responders and other workers who cannot do their jobs from home.

The final phase will be to vaccinate anybody who wants a shot. Two of the earliest vaccines require a booster shot several weeks later.