ST. LOUIS — The most coveted commodity in the United States might be the COVID-19 vaccine.
With demand outweighing supply, people have been hitting the road to find their shots. For many, that means crossing county or state lines.
That process has been confusing, so our Verify team tried to find some clarity.
Question:
Is it true people can get a vaccine at any location, regardless of where they live?
Sources:
-The CDC
-St. Louis County Department of Public Health
-St. Clair County Health Department
-Monroe County Health Department
The CDC is the federal agency in charge of the COVID-19 immunization program.
A CDC spokesperson told us, "A state may decide that protecting the public health of its residents requires limiting vaccinations to state residents… as long as the policy is intended to promote public health aims." and "The same policy would apply to cities and territories receiving CDC funding."
Examples of public health reasons to limit vaccine to certain residents would be: the number of vaccines received, reaching priority populations or promoting equity.
Answer:
False. A person may not be able to go to any location to get a vaccine regardless of where they live. A state, county, or city can restrict who is eligible for a vaccine.
The Verify team looked deeper into the issue and checked the current vaccine policies in some of the most populous counties in our region.
The St. Louis County Department of Public Health spokesperson said the county does not restrict vaccine access to anyone including Illinois residents.
The St. Clair County Health Department is limiting vaccines to people who live in the state of Illinois or work in St. Clair County.
The Monroe County Health Department is even more restrictive. Vaccines are limited to county residents only because they "are receiving very little vaccine each week." The spokesperson said Monroe County is receiving between 500-600 vaccine doses a week.