JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, has called on Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), to increase the supply of COVID-19 vaccinations to residents of Buchanan and Platte Counties. The State of Missouri received its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, but fewer than 5% of the state’s residents have been inoculated, the department reports. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, Missouri ranks last in the nation in vaccine distribution.
In recent weeks, Senator Luetkemeyer has fielded phone calls and emails from constituents frustrated by their inability to receive the vaccine. In a letter to DHSS, Sen. Luetkemeyer asked Dr. Williams to engage with health care providers and public health officials in Platte and Buchanan counties to ensure adequate supplies of COVID-19 vaccine are available.
“I am aware of the challenges before us, but those challenges underscore the need for the department to proactively ensure the allocation of resources and implementation of an effective vaccine administration plan,” Sen. Luetkemeyer wrote. “The only metric that matters right now is getting vaccines into the arms of those who need it. With that in mind, I urge you to take the steps necessary to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are promptly and equitably distributed and administered in Platte and Buchanan Counties.”
According to DHSS, Missouri has received in excess of 660,000 doses of COVID-19 from the federal government. To date, just 351,000 doses have been administered. Details about vaccine availability, as well as answers to frequently asked questions regarding efficacy and safety, can be found online at www.covidvaccine.mo.gov.
For more information about Sen. Luetkemeyer, visit www.senate.mo.gov/mem34.