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Missouri to increase vaccine dosing through state-enrolled locations, create less reliance on pharmacies

Among the lowest nationally in COVID-19 vaccine administration, Missouri has decided to kick dosing into high gear by diverting thousands of unused does from CVS and Walgreens to state-enrolled vaccinators to speed up the process.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced plans this week divert thousands of unused doses of coronavirus vaccine from CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to other state-enrolled vaccinators.

The decision was made to help speed up the vaccination process, Missouri among the states with the lowest vaccination administration.

The Parson administration has requested the return of 25,000 doses from CVS and Walgreens, which would then be re-routed to county health departments, medical hospitals and clinics, and hundreds of other state-approved vaccinators.

CVS and Walgreens were tasked with providing vaccinations at long-term care facilities under a Trump administration plan unveiled in December. Missouri’s new plan won’t affect shots for workers and residents at those facilities that have been ravaged by COVID-19.

According to data posted Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Missouri continues to rank last among states when it comes to the percentage of residents who have received an initial vaccine dose.

“After a call with other governors, I can tell you that Missouri is not alone in our frustration on how vaccination data is being reported by the CDC,” Parson said in a news release. “I and many other governors expressed concern that vaccination data from the CDC is being misrepresented and does not fully reflect the situations we are seeing at the state level.”