This website is best viewed in a browser that supports web standards.

Skip to content or, if you would rather, Skip to navigation.

Listen Live
Donate
MARYVILLE

KXCV-KRNW


News Brief

Feb. 10, 2021Kansas City, Mo. |  By: AP

Vaccine effort for Black, Latino Missourians slow to begin


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri tasked nine regional groups across the state with making sure Black and Latino communities had equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, but the effort is off to a slow start.

KCUR reported Monday that nearly two months into the vaccine rollout, four of the regional teams aren't yet operational.

Just 5% of doses in Missouri have gone to Black residents even though Black people make up about 11.5% of the state's population. The theory behind the state plan was that a regional organization would know its area best.

But regional officials say the effort is being hampered by a lack of state funding and confusion about what they see as vague state expectations.