Springfield-Greene County Health Department to begin giving COVID-19 vaccinations to health care workers

(From the Springfield-Greene County Health Department)

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department and Jordan Valley Community Health Center will offer COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, December 31 to those who work in healthcare, but are not affiliated with a healthcare system or long-term care facilities.

Those to be vaccinated on Thursday have already been contacted and scheduled by the Health Department. This initial round of vaccines will enhance joint efforts to vaccinate healthcare workers who fall under Phase 1A of the state’s four-phase approach.

This marks the next major step in vaccinating our community against COVID-19, returning to normalcy and bringing the pandemic to a close. 

“Healthcare workers face a wide range of hazards, especially in the fight against COVID-19. It’s crucial that we vaccinate these workers to ensure that they are protected while they take care of all of us,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy Yoon. “We are grateful to Jordan Valley Community Health Center for helping us get a head start on vaccinating this group of individuals. Moving through this phase will bring us one step closer to a return to normal.”

The role of the Health Department in this phase of the state’s four-phase approach is to ensure access for 1A groups not already covered by entities like hospitals or the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. This round of vaccination will continue into next week.

To focus efforts around those healthcare workers most at risk, SGCHD has further prioritized groups within Phase 1A:

1A1

o Patient-facing healthcare workers who utilize aerosols (ie: dentists)

o Patient-facing healthcare workers who are unable to remain masked or who treat patients unable to remain masked

o Patient-facing healthcare workers who medically treat COVID positive patients (ie: walk-in clinics)

o All long-term care facilities to include skilled nursing, assisted living, residential care

o Home healthcare staff

o Hospice care staff 

 

1A2

o Patient-facing healthcare workers who have physical contact with patients while masked

o Patient-facing healthcare workers providing direct care and cannot remain physically distanced whereas both patient and staff are wearing masks and healthcare worker does not meet 1A1 definition

1A3

o Patient-facing healthcare workers who can remain physically distanced and masked while treating patients (ie: behavioral health)

1A4

o Those who are categorized as 1A but do not live or work in Greene County, or provide care to residents of Greene County.

While those in the 1A1 group will be prioritized first, the health department will continue to coordinate the distribution of vaccines for those in Phase 1A. Healthcare organizations interested in vaccinating staff can sign up by calling 417-874-1211 or by email at coronavirus@springfieldmo.gov.

Mercy Hospital Springfield began vaccinating its staff on December 14. CoxHealth began its vaccination process for employees on December 21. Walgreens and CVS began vaccinating long-term care staff and residents this week.

At this time, vaccine for the general public is not yet available, and there is no specific timeline on when that will occur. The Health Department is actively working to keep our community informed about COVID-19 and the vaccine, and is dedicated to maintaining transparency throughout the process. The public can stay up to date on vaccine distribution by signing up for email alerts and taking the Finish Strong Pledge at health.springfieldmo.gov/COVIDvaccine