State enters next segment of COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Missouri's COVID-19 vaccine rollout has entered the second leg of its first phase.

Officially Phase 1B-Tier 1, this segment of the plan to offer vaccine doses to all Missourians makes eligible first-responders, emergency services providers and those involved in public health infrastructure. These groups include administrators and staff at health care facilities and public health agencies, law enforcement, firefighters, corrections personnel, some social service agencies, emergency management personnel, public works agencies and some not-for-profit organizations.

The first virus vaccine doses were given in mid-December and went to frontline health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

Phase 1B has three tiers. Tier 2 makes eligible anyone 65 and older and adults with certain medical conditions, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, severe obesity and those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Tier 3 expands the eligibility pool to personnel working in "critical infrastructure." That group includes people working in the fields of:

• education
• child care
• communications
• dams sector
• energy
• food/agriculture
• government
• information technology
• nuclear reactors, materials and waste
• transportation systems
• water and wastewater systems.

Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout will include "accelerating economic recovery," "disproportionately affected populations" and homeless. Phase 3 is the general public. Officials have said they hope to have a vaccine dose available for anyone who wants one by late spring or early summer.

Cape Girardeau and Scott counties have activated waiting lists to receive the vaccine: Cape Girardeau County, www.surveymonkey.com/r/covidwaitlist; Scott County, www.scottcountyhealth.com/covid-waiting-list.php.

SoutheastHEALTH, one of the state's pre-selected vaccine distribution organizations, also has a waiting list, www.sehealth.org/patients-and-visitors/covid19-information/covid19-vaccine-waiting-list.

Guidance on the Cape Girardeau County list states those wanting to receive a vaccine dose do not need to sign up on more than one list. According to the guidance and that from SoutheastHEALTH, once a dose in available, the individual will be contacted and directed to a provider to receive it.

The State of Illinois is also maintaining a waiting list, www.form.jotform.com/203635536921153.