Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Only 18 of Missouri’s 500-plus school districts have signed up for screening testing for COVID-19, even though the program is entirely free thanks to the federal government.

New rules require state inspectors to report violations directly to Medicaid auditors, which could jeopardize funding.

The departures include Commissioner of Administration Sarah Steelman and a change in the Department of Social Services.

A little over a quarter of the more than 17,000 applications the state has received have received approval since August.

Donald Kauerauf, who started at the Department Of Health and Senior Services this month, lamented the public mistrust of health experts but said he "can't stand" the idea of vaccine mandates.

Missouri was awarded nearly $185 million in federal funds to support the program’s implementation.

Biden administration officials announced plans for COVID-19 booster shots to be made widely available starting September 20. But local health departments and experts are scrambling to keep up with the latest guidance and research.

Local health department reports put deaths from coronavirus near 11,200, while some counties double the state's count.

New cases and hospitalization in the Kansas City area continue to climb, even as the statewide spike shows signs of slowing.

Financial and other incentives generally have not moved the needle much when it comes to persuading people to get COVID-19 vaccinations.

Younger children, who cannot yet be vaccinated, are among those who may be more susceptible to the more-contagious variant.

Statewide initiatives to ramp up vaccinations are mounting as Missouri sees its highest rate of new daily COVID-19 cases since January.