Randall Williams

Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, has resigned, Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday. Williams, who has led the department since 2017, submitted his letter of resignation in the morning. The governor gave no reason for the departure of Williams, whose tenure has been marked by controversy.

The St. Louis region will host several vaccination events the next two weeks where residents can get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. The large-scale sites can vaccinate thousands of people a day, but infectious disease specialists say they may not accommodate many of those most at risk of becoming sick from the coronavirus — people who work retail jobs, poor people and those with chronic health issues.

At mass vaccination events in rural areas last week, hundreds of doses went unused and some were wasted.

In some rural counties, health agencies mistakenly doled out vaccines that were intended to be booster shots

Previously identified vaccine deserts in Boonville, Owensville and Hayti have dissipated since an earlier analysis.

There will be nine National Guard teams deployed throughout the state, one for each of Missouri’s Highway Patrol regions, and each team can vaccinate up to 2,500 people per day depending on supply.

The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved the first coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in the United States. The federal government will begin shipping the vaccine to Missouri and other states within days. Public health officials have said a widely available vaccine will ultimately control the pandemic that has killed nearly 5,000 people across the state, overwhelmed hospitals and devastated businesses.

Public health officials in Missouri and Illinois are bracing for a surge in coronavirus cases after Thanksgiving gatherings. Health experts had cautioned against traditional family dinners and parties for the holiday, as the virus is mostly being spread through small gatherings in private residences.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services plans to send 340,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to essential health workers by the end of this month, Director Randall Williams said Friday afternoon. The federal government’s Operation Warp Speed likely will ship the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to the health department in the next few weeks, Williams said.

Gov. Mike Parson said hospital capacity is "becoming a problem," warns Missourians about family gatherings for the upcoming holidays.