COVID-19 vaccine clinics set in June in rural areas

Jun. 3—CoxHealth, the Springfield-based health system that operates hospitals in Lamar and Monett, will offer several COVID-19 vaccine clinics this month in rural Southwest Missouri.

The clinics are made possible by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant, which is part of the Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence Program. The federally funded program aims to increase vaccine confidence and uptake, improve health care in rural areas and provide education and outreach about vaccine benefits and safety.

At all local clinics, the Pfizer vaccine will be available for individuals 12 and older. Both initial and booster doses will be available.

The clinics will be held:

—From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at CoxHealth Center Crane, 102 Cortney Lane in Crane.

—From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at CoxHealth Center Mount Vernon, 10763 State Highway 39, Suite 199, in Mount Vernon.

—From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, at CoxHealth Center Shell Knob, 25376 State Highway 39, Suite M300, in Shell Knob.

—From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 10, at CoxHealth Center Aurora, 106 Commerce in Aurora.

—From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 17, at CoxHealth Golden City Clinic, 403 Main St. in Golden City.

—From 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 17, at CoxHealth Medical One Clinic, 29 NW First Lane in Lamar.

—From 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 24, at CoxHealth Monett Clinic, 1000 Highway 60 in Monett.

A little more than half of Jasper County residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But moving outside of Jasper County, those numbers drop, significantly in some cases. According to the CDC, the percentage of residents 5 and older who are fully vaccinated is 27.7% in Newton County, 35.5% in Barton County, 36% in McDonald County, 41% in Lawrence County and 47.6% in Barry County.

The level of community spread of COVID-19 is currently low in all of the Four-State Area, according to the CDC.