Twin Rivers alum to help coordinate state COVID vaccine release

AP File Photo

The first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Missouri this week and there’s more on the horizon, but this is only the start of the journey.

Robert Knodell, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Mike Parson, has taken on a lead role in the vaccination effort.

The Twin Rivers R-X graduate will coordinate between health care providers, local governments, public health agencies and other groups as needed to work through communication, any distribution issues or problems that may arise.

This first batch of Pfizer vaccines, which Missouri received 51,675 doses of, will go to frontline health care workers and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

“Those shipments to our state began over the weekend,” he said. “Some of those shipments have arrived, others are arriving probably today (Tuesday) and tomorrow.”

Knodell said he isn’t sure when Butler County or the surrounding region will receive vaccines, but expects it to be in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use last week. It is a two-part vaccine and stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

The FDA is looking at a second COVID-19 vaccine, produced by Moderna.

According to the Associated Press, on Tuesday the preliminary analysis of the Moderna vaccine “confirmed the effectiveness and safety” of it.

A panel of outside experts is expected to vote Thursday to recommend the formula, and the FDA’s decision would come shortly after that.

“We’re hopeful that the federal government will approve the Moderna vaccine, and we will receive those shipments next week, as well as additional shipments of Pfizer (vaccines),” Knodell said.

He estimates about 400,000-500,000 Missourians fall under the initial group. Knodell acknowledged not everybody will want to take the vaccine.

“We certainly hope that as many as possible do,” he said.

There is a plan to encourage people to take the vaccine by working with health care professionals to provide accurate and up-to-date information about the vaccine.

“The federal research into these vaccines was very thorough,” Knodell said. “They’ve done extensive studies on them, which is very encouraging for the efficacy. The accuracy is quite extensive for these.”

The state released a website, covidvaccine.mo.gov, which answers some frequently asked questions, explains the approval process for vaccines and talks about the different vaccines in consideration.

“We’re going to try to dispel myths, present the facts to the public and hope that as many people as possible will accept the vaccine,” Knodell said. “We believe it is a critical milestone in getting to the other side of this pandemic.”

The next phase involves offering the vaccine to high-risk individuals, first responders and essential workers. Increased-risk individuals will follow that, such as prisoners and the homeless, before being available to all Missouri residents.

“We will move into subsequent phases, hopefully quickly, as supplies arrive here in the state,” Knodell said.

Individual health care facilities, he explained, are facilitating the orders. Many of the long-term care facilities enrolled in the federal pharmacy vaccination program.

Through this program, the federal government has contracted Walgreens and CVS to receive shipments of the vaccine to go into long-term care facilities.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are taken in two parts, taken 21-28 days apart. Both doses need to be of the same vaccine.

When an individual receives the first dose, he or she will receive a card with a date reminder for the second dose, Knodell said. Those giving the vaccine also will remind individuals of their second dose date.

Knodell said at least at the start of this process, once the FDA approves Moderna, which vaccine somebody receives will largely depend on what is available.

“As we move closer to vaccinating the general public, there may be choices available at that point,” he said.

Knodell encourages people to get vaccinated when they can, but to also be informed on the research and facts of the vaccines.

“We encourage everyone to strongly consider the vaccine because we believe it can be a tremendous key to keeping our communities and our schools open and saving lives, as well as just getting to the other side of this pandemic and putting it in the rearview mirror,” Knodell said.