COVID-19 Vaccine Update: State Accepts SLU’s Application to be a Vaccine Provider Site

Feb. 4, 2021

Dear members of the SLU community,

We write with another update on the COVID-19 vaccine as it relates to SLU.

While we are thrilled to share that the state has accepted our application to be a vaccine provider site, we want to temper that enthusiasm with recent news about Missouri’s vaccine distribution plan.

The state of Missouri announced a significant change to its distribution plan that could delay when we receive vaccines. The bulk of the state’s vaccines –– about 76 percent, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, will now go to the four main hospital systems and the mass vaccine sites being managed by the National Guard.

Local public health agencies will receive another portion of the state’s vaccine allocations. “Other providers,” a category we believe SLU falls within, will receive about 8 percent of available doses.

These most recent changes make it challenging to predict when the University will obtain vaccines.

So, for any of you who are cleared to be vaccinated but have been “waiting for SLU to get it,”please don’t wait.

Pre-register with your local health department when it is appropriate for you based on either the Missouri or Illinois prioritization schedules. You can view those here:

• Missouri vaccination prioritization
• Illinois vaccination prioritization

We strongly recommend you pre-register with your local health department as soon as you are eligible. By doing so, you will be notified when scheduling opportunities open up. You should only register for the county in which you reside.

You can also pre-register for vaccination through local health systems using the following links:

• SSM Health
• BJC HealthCare/Washington University
• Mercy
• St. Luke’s Hospital

After you pre-register, pay close attention to your email as that is likely how someone will contact you when scheduling is available. When you are able to schedule an appointment, please only make one appointment with one site, otherwise, you could inadvertently prohibit someone else from the opportunity to get the vaccine, too.

Critical takeaway

If the vaccine is available to you and you are eligible for it, please get it. Do not wait for SLU to acquire vaccine from the state.

In the meantime, our team is at the ready once the vaccine arrives at SLU. We will be sure to keep you up to date when we know more.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. As always, please emailpandemic@slu.eduwith any questions.

Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., RN, CIC, FAPIC
Special Assistant to the President
Director, Institute for Biosecurity
Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
College for Public Health & Social Justice

Rachel Charney, M.D.
Director, SLU Contact Tracing
Director of Disaster Preparedness, SLUCare
Professor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
School of Medicine

Deborah Horton, RN, MSN, MPH, PHNA-BC
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing

Renee Jonas, M.A.
Director, Student Health Center