Three of Missouri's top health officials say local leaders are the primary influencers in the state's efforts to fight off a surge in COVID-19 cases.
State officials said during a virtual news conference Friday that they have a strong working relationship with federal agencies helping to respond to increasing cases caused largely by the delta variant. But they said trusted officials and community leaders are the best people to persuade residents to get vaccinated against the virus.
The comments come after Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said this week that he doesn't support a federal plan to send people door-to-door to encourage vaccinations.
