Coping with COVID: Mo. partnership to deliver first doses of new vaccine to select health care centers

Today, Governor Mike Parson released the names of the health care centers in each of the state’s nine regions that will receive COVID-19 vaccines as part of the state’s partnership with High Throughput Health Centers (HTHC). 

“Our partnership with high throughput health centers across the state has been an important piece in ensuring vaccines are administered equitably and efficiently to Missourians in every region,” said Governor Parson. “These health care centers have established connections with their local communities and high risk Missourians throughout the region and have the proven capacity to get thousands of vaccines into arms each week.” 

Selected hospitals have the capability to administer a minimum of 5,000 vaccines per week. Hospitals not selected as high throughput vaccinators are considered community providers and may request vaccines through the established process with the Department of Health and Senior Services. For a list of HTHCs in each region and a breakdown of vaccine doses allocated, see attachment. 

Vaccines distributed to HTHCs are only one component of the state’s current COVID-19 vaccine distribution framework. There are six provider categories used to distribute Missouri’s allotment of vaccines from the federal government to each region. Due to increases in vaccine supply, the state’s model has been modified. Current categories include the following:  

• High Throughput Health Centers: 41 percent
• Mass Vaccination Events: 22 percent 
• Local Public Health Agencies: 7 percent
• Federally Qualified Health Centers: 8 percent 
• Community/Enrolled Providers: 7 percent 
• Vaccine Desert Mitigation: 15 percent