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Up To Date

Missouri's 'Vaccine Deserts' | Adult Children Back At Home

By Steve Kraske,
Danie Alexander, Mackenzie Martin
Published February 8, 2021 at 5:02 PM CST
A Kansas City resident receives his first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination on Jan. 26 at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.
Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3
A Kansas City resident receives his first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination on Jan. 26 at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.

Portions of the Kansas City metro have limited-to-no access to COVID-19 vaccines and more young adults are living at home now than ever before.

Segment 1, beginning at 9:13: Kansas City is the site of multiple 'vaccine deserts.'

Kansas City and St. Louis have areas with limited-to-no access to the COVID-19 vaccine. And even as more providers start to administer the vaccine, these 'vaccine deserts' are expanding. That's a huge problem — especially as Missouri tries to prioritize equity.

Segment 2, beginning at 29:04: There are benefits and challenges to grown children moving back in with mom and dad to wait out the pandemic.

Five months into the pandemic, the number of 18- to 29-year-olds living with their parents increased by 2.6 million, surpassing the previous peak during the Great Depression. One Kansas City mother and son revealed how the readjustment was going after years of not living under the same roof.

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Up To Date St. LouisKansas City Missouri (KCMO)Talk ShowCoronavirusvaccinesfamilyhealth policyresearchHealthpublic healthregional healthparentschildren
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Danie Alexander
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
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Mackenzie Martin
Mackenzie Martin is a senior podcast producer at KCUR Studios and host of the podcast, A People's History of Kansas City. Contact her at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin