By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
It's a day that many have waited on for almost a year now.
Online registration for the COVID-19 vaccine in St. Joseph opened Friday, with vaccines getting out to the eligible public starting Monday.
"It is a day of hope," Mosaic chief medical officer Dr. Davin Turner said. "There's a light at the end of the tunnel and it's not a train."
Mosaic Life Care, the city of St. Joseph and several other entities have partnered to provide the COVID vaccine to northwest Missouri residents, as supply allows.
"That commitment and coordinated effort allows us to start community vaccinations next week," St. Joseph mayor Bill McMurray said. "I'm very grateful for this partnership and the dedication and perseverance from everyone to make it happen."
Missouri authorized COVID vaccines for people in Phase 1B this week. This includes people who are 65 and older and adults considered to be at high-risk with underlying health conditions.
St. Joseph's vaccination site is the former Gordmans at the East Hills Shopping Center. The site features a check-in area, multiple vaccination stations and a large, socially distanced observation area.
"It's my expectation that this facility will be providing vaccines for at least six months and possibly longer," Turner said.
Appointments can be made at MyMLC.com/vaccine. Residents might experience delays on the website due to high traffic volume.
"Our teams are working diligently to make (registration) as smooth of a process as possible," Turner said.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's registration is already full as of Friday morning. Mosaic is unable to make appointments over the phone.
Vaccines are by appointment only with no walk-ins accepted, though Turner said the goal is to make it a walk-in operation once supply is sufficient.
"At this time, that's not going to be the way it works."
Hundreds will be vaccinated per day in St. Joseph and thousands per week - when supply is sufficient. Right now, there's enough to vaccinate about 100 people every day.
Mosaic initially requested 6,000 vaccines from the state with the goal of vaccinating up to 1,500 per day and up to 10,000 per week.
The problem - supply is limited across the state. Mosaic is ordering vaccine on a weekly basis with amounts being determined by the state.
"The number of vaccines is the limiting factor," Turner said, "but as we get more, we will deliver more vaccine to those who are eligible at this time. We have limited supply, but we will give the vaccine we have."
Mosaic has already vaccinated over 2,000 people in Phase 1a.
Both Mosaic Medical Center in Maryville and Mosaic Medical in Albany are working with their community partners on the vaccine rollout in those areas.
More information on rollout in those communities will come at a later date.
Regional residents in Maryville are asked to call the Nodaway County Health Department to get on a waiting list, while regional residents in Albany should call the Tri-County Health Department to get on their list.
Tri-County Health just this week was denied its latest shipment of COVID vaccine for people in Phase 1b.
Mosaic recently helped them finish vaccinating those in Phase 1a -medical personnel, long-term care residents and first responders in Dekalb, Gentry and Worth counties.
"We recently assisted (Tri-County) to make sure they could hopefully complete their Tier 1a folks," Turner said.
Supply is limited, and the fight is not over. But, it is a day of hope for many. A "long time coming," as Dr. Laney said, but Turner reminds people to keep up those preventative measures as they wait for their vaccine.
"Wash your hands, wear your mask...light is at the end of the tunnel and it is not a train."
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.