Tristen Rouse
Donald Kaureafuf, the Missouri director of health, poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 at his office in Jefferson City, Mo. Kaureafuf has emphasized the need to wear masks inside to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but said they were generally not needed outdoors.
A variety of public health issues are on Don Kauerauf’s radar, but encouraging more Missourians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is at the forefront. Kauerauf is the new director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. He worked in Illinois in emergency management, public health, and homeland security for 30 years before being named to his post in July. But he faces significant challenges. Misinformation about the vaccines is rampant. Governor Mike Parson maintains that getting vaccinated is an individual choice. The governor, Kauerauf stresses, has “strongly urged” Missourians to take the shot. “Individuals need to understand that getting a vaccination is not a political issue,” he says. “Public health has never been about politics. It’s about the prevention of diseases and saving lives.” Still, only about 46.2 percent of Missourians are fully vaccinated against COVID, according to the Missouri DHSS, and 53.8 percent have received at least one dose. His take? “The goal of public health vaccination programs is to achieve 100 percent coverage. However, for the COVID vaccination initiative, our goal is to ensure that everyone who has considered getting vaccinated has the opportunity to do so. This means that those individuals who may be vaccine hesitant—those that would consider getting vaccinated—get accurate information to address their concerns and get vaccinated. If we can do this, we believe we can reach a 70 to 80 percent vaccination rate in Missouri.”
Is COVID-19 herd immunity still possible? Herd immunity is a marker for a point where immunity through vaccinations and prior infection exceeds a designated proportion of the population. Because of the high infectivity of the Delta variant, waning immunity after infection, and changes in vaccine effectiveness over time, herd immunity isn’t a goal that public health officials are using for COVID.
What are the department’s short- and long-term plans to encourage the vaccine-hesitant in Missouri to be willing to be immunized? DHSS continues to get messaging out to provide easy access to factual vaccine information through a $5 million multimedia campaign, Stronger Together. MO VIP, which encourages vaccinations among all Missourians ages 12 and up, has been a huge success, with two drawings and well over 500,000 registrants. Since the July 21 launch, more than 45,000 individuals who weren’t vaccinated prior received a dose and entered the program. Other programs to encourage vaccinations include the issuance of gift cards and other local promotional efforts. In the future, Missouri will increase our effort to encourage vaccinations among youth who are in the 12–17 age range. Vaccinations among this age group are the lowest among those eligible to receive inoculations.
What challenges is the state facing as we head into flu season? Last year, we had a mild influenza season, partially due to the care citizens took to wear masks, wash their hands, follow social distancing, and stay home when sick. The state will be aggressive in our attempts to promote the flu vaccine this season. Discussions are already underway to offer flu vaccine at locations where COVID-19 vaccines are being administered. What makes this issue critically important is that hospitals are already at capacity due to the increase in COVID hospitalizations among the unvaccinated. We can’t put any more pressure on our healthcare providers by a new influx of preventable influenza hospitalizations. Our medical resources for the care of critically ill patients in Missouri are already stretched too thin.
Are there efforts that you hope to implement when it comes to helping the vaccine-hesitant sort through misinformation? All state public health agencies are struggling to combat the misinformation that is being widely circulated. Individuals can go to the internet and find all sorts of information about COVID vaccinations. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of erroneous information. It’s OK to be hesitant, as long as you are seeking true and accurate information about the COVID vaccine. It is our responsibility to gather facts before deciding about our health. The important point is you can get vaccinated today. There are plenty of [doses of ] the vaccines available everywhere in Missouri. The citizens of Missouri who are vaccine-hesitant can reach out to their trusted medical provider or public health agency and get the facts about COVID and how getting vaccinated not only will provide protection to you and your loved ones, but getting vaccinated also lowers your chance of getting a severe COVID infection that causes hospitalization.
How is the state working with public and private sectors to help residents of urban and rural areas have expedient access to COVID vaccines? The Missouri DHSS has actively sought the assistance of state and local chambers of commerce and other statewide groups to see corporate partnerships to promote vaccinations. In addition to the various chambers of commerce, collaborations have occurred with the Area Agencies on Aging, Urban League, Morningstar Baptist Church, as well as other locally established groups. Additional partnerships can be seen at MOStopsCovid.com/equity.
