St. Louis Dome opens for vaccines

DOME MISS THE VACCINE

St. Louis opens Dome for general public to receive vaccines

MATTHEW KWEON

staff writer

On a Friday morning, nostalgia runs heavy. The cafeteria walls still bear memories of the voices, laughter and clamor of hundreds of hungry students. But today, it is cold, white and sterile. Biology teacher Monica Bowman sits at a table, scribbles her name on a paper covered in small, black text and pulls up her sleeve. There’s a pinch, and it’s over — one step closer to transforming memories back into normalcy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began the third phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, opening vaccinations to all members of the general public 16 years of age and older April 9. Since then, Ladue has administered vac have widespread opportunities to receive their dose.

“I’m grateful that they had clinics [in Ladue] to make vaccines super accessible,” vaccinated teacher Jennifer Hartigan said. “I had already secured a vaccine through an appointment at CVS, but it seems that [Ladue has] been running super smooth and well done.”

In downtown St. Louis, the Dome at America’s center opened in early April promising to vaccinate about 3000 people a day. Though they are falling short of that goal, the building is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and eligible teenagers and adults can enter through the C entrance on the corner of Broadway and Cole Street.

“Downtown, they’ve announced that they’ve done away with the need to make appointments,” Hartigan said. “You can still make appointments to know what time to be down there but you can also just walk in. I think that’s super important for people who are living their lives in an unpredictable way. Being able to walk in when they do have time to get that done was a really good step.” the Moderna vaccine both share upwards of against COVID-19. However, from person to person, depending on health conditions and age. cist warned me that I would probably have worse symptoms because I had already had COVID previously,” ju ridden for a day, and I was nauseated. But if we get the vaccine sooner, we can stop it sooner. There’s no reason to keep [the pandemic] going.”

Ladue support total vaccination, there are still those who are hesitant about the unfamiliarity of the process. According to the United Health Foundation, Missouri ranks 48th amongst all states for adolescent vaccinations and 42nd for adults.

“We need to do a better job of educating the community that [the vaccine] is something that the sci support,” Bowman said. “Data shows the planet, like we did with smallpox, [and] almost did with polio.” Vaccinating the entire step towards returning to life before COVID-19 — a life that included busy lunch lines, vibrant hallways, holistic classrooms and a greater sense of community.

“Schools are the infrastructure of making things work. Having these buildings open and being able to keep them open is super important in order to keep the economy running and keep kids learning,” Hartigan said. “I [also] think for the vast majority of people, the best way to learn is face to face. I think the more folks we can get back in the building, the better… So get your vaccines so that we can do that.” p

i l lus tra t ion by | MIKA KIPNIS Serving St. Louis Since 1912 12833 Olive Blvd St. Louis MO 63141 314-434-5000 www.seegertoyota.com *Ask about Seeger Care Plus for New Cars and Seeger Care for Used Cars*