vaccinations

The Missouri Immunization Coalition was a non-profit that focused on advocacy, education and training around vaccines. Funding cuts to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in April led to a loss of funding for the group and they were forced to shutter in summer 2025.

Flu season is underway, and while cases are still low in Missouri, medical professionals are watching a variant called "subclade K" that has been dominant overseas. KBIA's Rebecca Smith recently sat down with George Turabelidze, an epidemiologist with the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, about what this could mean for Missourians.

Public health experts say lingering skepticism and controversy surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine have fueled hesitancy toward other immunizations.

The rollout of this year’s updated COVID-19 vaccine has been confusing, to say the least. KBIA’s Rebecca Smith has more on who’s eligible for this year’s booster and what steps may be needed to get it.

MU Health Care will offer extended hours, walk-in and drive-thru clinics and more than 20 flu and COVID-19 vaccination events in September and October across central Missouri, according to a news release from MU Health Care.

For the first time in 15 years, the Health Department will not be offering free on-campus flu shots to students in Columbia Public Schools.

Another case of measles has been confirmed in Missouri – this time in an adult resident of New Madrid County in the southeastern part of the state.

Reported cases of the infectious disease have surpassed pre-pandemic levels in Missouri.

Meghan Kruse is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Columbia Public School’s Scholar Clinic, a school-based clinic that serves students enrolled in CPS. She spoke about childhood vaccinations through their clinic, and about the power of having a conversation with concerned parents.

Data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows that vaccination rates are dropping and religious exemptions are rising among the state’s children.