Ed Williams
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
The Cole County Commission continues to bungle the response to the COVID pandemic. The hours at the new vaccination center are designed to prevent people from taking the vaccination. Most people work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The center's hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. will be inconvenient for most people.
All of us will benefit by prevention of COVID. When it is contained, we will be able to associate with family, earn a living, be part of a group and shop without a mask. Everything could be done without threat of getting COVID. Yet there is some reluctance to getting the vaccination. To encourage people to get the shot, it should be as convenient as possible. Employers may get some tax benefit from paying employees while they get their shot, but it could disrupt their business. Vaccinations should be available outside of working hours. Early in the morning would allow workers to get the shot before work. Employees should be able to get their vaccination after work until 8 or 9 p.m.
Most people do not work on Saturday or Sunday. It would be more convenient to have the vaccination clinic open Friday to Monday. That way people could go to the clinic on their day off. Usually, it only takes a few minutes, so people could stop in the clinic as they run their ordinary errands but not have to leave work.
If the clinic were located near the center of Jefferson City such as near the intersection of U.S. 54 and Southwest/Ellis boulevards, it would be nearer most people's homes. Two locations would be better than one. If a clinic was on each side of town, more people would be closer to the vaccinations. Money might even be saved over the $10,000 per month paid to the Capital Mall. The commission did not look at enough locations to make the clinic convenient or economical. Combined with the lack of restrictions and a mask mandate we can see the failure of the Cole County Commission to protect us. That explains why Boone County had fewer deaths from COVID than Cole County even though it has nearly two and a half times more people.
One of the commissioners always uses "common sense" in his campaign material. Common sense is lacking in all the commission's handling of the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, lives were lost due to their poor performance.