KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday state health officials will begin to plan for an increase in mass vaccination events in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
During his weekly briefing, Parson acknowledged that interest in receiving the vaccine is now higher in the state’s population center than in more rural locations.
Parson said that by April 1, the state will have transitioned to focus on the population centers by using an expanded supply of vaccines once the Johnson and Johnson vaccine becomes more widely available.
In addition to the increase in supply, Parson said the need to only administer one does of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine should help speed up the scope of vaccinations.
Many of the state’s existing vaccination drives have been held in locations divided up into several different regions across Missouri.
In many of those instances, the mass vaccination drives have required residents to drive long distances to reach the sites. In the Kansas City region, the state has sponsored three mass vaccination events, with an average driving distance from downtown of nearly 57 miles.
Arrowhead Stadium is one venue that's been in discussion as a potential mass vaccination site in Kansas City, Missouri.
On Thursday, KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said it could be a possibility by late March.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
