COVID-19 briefing Nearly 11% of Butler County is vaccinated

Wednesday, March 3, 2021
AP File

If you don’t have a computer, but want to register for the COVID mass vaccination Tuesday, March 9, at the Black River Coliseum, Butler County Health Center Administrator Emily Goodin offered answers during the weekly COVID briefing Wednesday.

“If you don’t have access to a computer, you can call the COVID hotline,” Goodin said. “That number is 877-435-8411. Also, the state has been working with different agencies on helping those, particularly the elderly, get vaccinated. We have Aging Matters, who is serving as advocates and they’ll be able to help assist in registering folks for these mass clinics. That number is 573-335-2482.”

“A lot of partners are involved in putting on this mass vaccine event with the National Guard,” Goodin said. “It’ll be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s going to be for first doses only. It will be the Pfizer vaccine, and it will be for anyone who needs their first dose.”

The vaccine navigator system will be used for scheduling.

Goodin said, “you can find the website, either on the web page on the Butler County Health Department site, Facebook page, or you can go to covidvaccine.mo.gov and register on there.”

As of Wednesday, Butler County added two new COVID cases, bringing the total number to 4,286.

Goodin reminded those attending the briefing, “We are still doing rapid testing here at the health department by appointment only. You can get on our website or Facebook page to schedule those appointments.”

Goodin’s staff is still working on the Butler County Health Department wait list for those wanting a vaccination.

“We put a request in every week,” she said. “We never know how much we’re going to get, but we’re slowly working our way through the wait list. Again, we’re trying to urge those individuals in the community to go ahead and register for the mass event.”

Anyone wanting information about the vaccinations may go on the covidvaccine.mo.gov website for answers.

“Unfortunately, there’s no definitive data on how long it lasts, or how long the immunity will last,” Goodin said. “It’s just not out there as of right now.

“We are still urging everyone to practice social distancing and to wear your mask in public.”

COVID-19 vaccinations are being delivered by regions, Goodin said, “These areas are the same as the Missouri Highway Patrol uses across the state.”

While some of the regions have a larger population, at first each region was receiving the same amount of vaccine, Goodin explained. Whether it’s 2,000, 4,000, 5,000, each region gets the same amount.

Now, Goodin said, they are working on percentage-based on the data on how many have already received the vaccine.

“They are looking at the data to get the vaccine more evenly distributed. I believe now, for the state of Missouri, 14.5% of the population has been vaccinated. In Butler County, it is 10.7%. So we’re doing pretty good,” she said.

The counties in each region and the percentage having been vaccinated are:

Region E, which is composed of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne counties has 5% of the population and the total percent having received the vaccine is 10.7%.

Region A serves the counties of Bates, Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis, Platte, Ray, and Saline; has 23% of the population and 20% have received the medicine.

Region B is the counties of Adair, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and Sullivan, which has 3% of the state’s population, and 4% have been vaccinated.

Region C serves the following counties: Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perry, Pike, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Warren and Washington. C has 37% of the population, and 36% have been vaccinated.

Region D is composed of Barry, Barton, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Polk, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Vernon and Webster counties, has 15 % of the population, and 13% have been treated.

Region F serves the following 13 counties in Central Missouri: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan and Osage. While 8% of the population lives in Region F, 10% have had the medication.

Region G is composed of Carter, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Reynolds, Shannon, Texas and Wright counties, has 2% of the population, and 2% have been vaccinated,

Region H includes Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway and Worth counties, with 4% of the population and 5% have been vaccinated.

Region I includes the Gasconade, Meramec, Big Piney, Little Piney, Huzzah, Courtious, Bourbeuse, Missouri, Roubidoux and upper Current rivers. About 3% of the population lives in Region I and about 2% have been inoculated.