Missouri Governor Doesn’t Want Door-To-Door Vaccine Help

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is pushing back on federal officials, saying he doesn’t want government employees going door-to-door in his state to urge people to get vaccinated.

Missouri asked for help last week from nearly formed federal “surge response” teams as it combats an influx of cases that public health officials are blaming on fast-spreading delta variant and deep-seated concerns about the vaccine. After one official noted the effort that could include door-to-door promotion of the vaccine, Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”

Parson has urged people to get vaccinated, while also declining to enact restrictions to control the virus’ spread, instead asking residents to take personal responsibility. Missouri — which leads the nation with the most new COVID-19 cases per capita over the last two weeks — never had a mask mandate, and Parson signed a law last month placing limits on public health restrictions and barring governments from requiring proof of vaccination to use public facilities and transportation.

Just 29.5% of residents in the county where Branson is located have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, state data shows. That is below the state rate of 45% and the national rate of 55.1% but not unlike several other southwest Missouri communities. Some have vaccination rates in the teens and 20s.

Vaccine and mask resistance runs deep in the area: Branson’s mayor was elected to office this spring after running on a platform that called for doing away with masks.