Vaccinations for the most vulnerable

Vaccinations for the most vulnerable

Are experiencing the worst outbreak of new cases since this spring with more than 2-thousand residents dying from covid-19 each week according to a new report.

Kq2's madeline mcclain spoke to a local longterm care company about why getting the most vulnerable vaccinated is worth a shot.

<<kq2's madeline mcclain reporting:in less than 2 weeks-- the most vulnerable missourians may be receiving their first vaccine dose.ben scheulen, jms senior living: it was the duty of the state and the federal government to ensure that we got the vaccination first.

We are the population that has been hit by far the hardest.ben scheulen, is the ceo of jms senior living -- a family of longterm care homes including st.

Joseph senior living and ben scheulen, jms senior living: when we talk about what vaccination bring in the coming months and that's the facilities and you know, allowing our families back in that is the ultimate thing that we have to get back to.the 4-500 residents living in one of the 9 jms living facilities staff are set to be among the first missourians vaccinated for covid-19.dr. randall williams, director of mo.

Health dept.: that adds up to about 350,000 so we have enough vaccines to cover them just in the month of december.

The state decided last week that longterm care residents should be among the first to be vaccinated along with healthcare workers.more than 100,000 long-term care residents have died from covid- 19 in the u.s. and though patients in these facilities make up less than 1% of the u.s. population.they account for 7% of the nation's coronavirus caseload and 40% of its covid-19 deaths.ben scheulen, jms senior living: we worked hard to try to do outdoor visits and the state had given us some guidance on indoor visitation and that lasted for just a minute until the outbreak across the state just exploded.he says a vaccine is beginning to look like the only hope to reopen facilities.senior living: our residents are suffering and it's tough to see them on a daily basis not be able to communicate and see their family members the way they are used to and to be able to touch them and really experience, they are not used to this world that we live in.

This zoom world.

It's unnatural to them so that's really the most heartbreaking thing about all of this is knowing that suffer through so hopefully this vaccination provides us some relief sooner rather than later."it's worth a shot.

Reporting, madeline mcclain kq2 news.

Shullum says that the vaccinaton process could begin as early as monday, dec.

21st.

Cvs and walgreens employees have already begun collectin information needed to administer the shots.