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Temperature checks and limited attendance are two of the safeguards at in-person Sunday services that recently resumed at St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
Addressing the mistrust and health care access problems faced by African Americans will take more than big vaccination events, some experts say.
Throughout Missouri s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, data have shown wide disparities in the vaccination rates of different racial and ethnic groups and while recent weeks have shown some improvement, many gaps remain.
Although vaccine hesitancy runs high in many African American neighborhoods, critics say the state’s inadequate efforts to reach those vulnerable communities have added to issues of mistrust and lack of health care access that are keeping vaccination rates low.
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Patients sit above the Hammons Student Center court after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine during the Mass Vaccination Site, hosted by Missouri State and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department Thursday, April 8. After receiving their dose, patients were instructed to sit for about 15 minutes to ensure they feel well and are not experiencing any severe side effects. 10,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available to Missouri residents over the two-day event.
Greta Cross/The Standard
A dose of the Johnson & Johnsonâs Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine lays out on a table, ready for administration, during the Mass Vaccination Site held by Missouri State University and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department Thursday, April 8 in Hammons Student Center. The two-day event, held Thursday and Friday, April 9, will include 10,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Credit Jennifer Moore / KSMU
Rachael Ingram, a cellular and molecular biology major at Missouri State University, fielded questions outside. Members of the Missouri National Guard directed traffic. Lauren Stevens, a nursing student, told attendees to roll up their sleeves as she readied a syringe.
Together, they helped comprise a team that broke a state record for administering the most COVID-19 vaccines in a one-day event, according to a Tweet from the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.
Capt. Jeremy Idleman with the Missouri National Guard.
Credit Jennifer Moore / KSMU
Around 4:00 p.m. Friday, the health department tweeted, “4,000 people have been vaccinated TODAY alone at the Mega Vaccine event. This is the most people that have been vaccinated in a single day statewide!” The previous single day record of 3,999 was set in St. Charles County.
The COVID-19 vaccine mega-event taking place on the Missouri State University campus Thursday and Friday is available to walk-in participants. Previously, organizers had planned to require an appointment.
On Wednesday afternoon, David Hall, director of university safety at MSU, told KSMU organizers are trying to make the event as accessible as possible to everyone.
The vaccination event is free and open to Missouri residents ages 18 and older. Here s the thing: if it s on Thursday, it s only open to those who are in Phase 1 and 2. That s primarily health care, those over the age of 65, critical infrastructure and education [workers]. On Friday, it s open to any Missourian. So any Missourian could walk into our clinic, or event, Hall said.
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