Getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Protection from COVID-19 is critically important because for some people it can cause severe illness or death.
Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Other steps, like masks and social distancing, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
Fordland Clinic has been approved to receive the COVID-19 vaccines! While we do not know when we will receive the vaccine (or which one) we are planning our process to be able to start vaccinating the community according to CDC and Missouri guidelines. Currently, two vaccines are authorized and recommended by the CDC to prevent COVID-19. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19. To understand & learn more about these vaccines, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html.
The CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine be allocated to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. This is referred to as Phase 1a. Phases may overlap. Missouri is following these guidelines, and has approved vaccine release for Phase 1A, Phase 1B Tier 1 and Phase 1B Tier 2 (underlined below).
(Phase 1A) Healthcare personnel & residents of long-term care facilities
(Phase 1B, Tier 1) First responders, Emergency Services, and Public Health Infrastructure
(Phase 1B, Tier 2) High-Risk Individuals such as those with cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Heart Conditions, weakened immune system due to organ transplant, severe obesity (BMI>40), pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, or individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. This includes also anyone aged 65 or older, with or without chronic disease.
Phase 1B, Tier 3: Critical Infrastructure described as those who keep the essential functions of society running. This includes Teachers, faculty and staff in public, private, and nonprofit pre-K-12, Faculty and staff in DHSS or DSS-licensed facility providing basic care to children, Communications/Dams/Energy sector employees, Food/Agriculture Sector, Government, Information Technology (IT) sector, Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector, Transportation Systems, Water and Wastewater Systems employees.
Phase 2: Equity and Economic Recovery will cover those in the following industries: Chemical, Commercial Facilities, Critical Manufacturing, Defense Industrial Base, Financial Services, Government, and Food/Agriculture who were not included in 1B. This Phase also focuses on Faculty and Staff at public, private, and/or nonprofit higher education institutions, populations at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19, with emphasis on racial/ethnic minorities not otherwise included in 1B, and the Homeless population at increased risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19, if not included in 1B.
For more information on the phased roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Missouri, visit https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/priority/
For more information on COVID-19 vaccines visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations.html
Our goal is for everyone to be able to easily get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as we receive them. Please follow us here and on our Facebook page – facebook.com/fordlandclinic for updates on the vaccine arrival and how and when to be able to schedule an appointment to receive your COVID-19 vaccination.