Higher education employees and college students in Missouri will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine soon. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced on March 18 that the state will activate Phase 2 of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan on Monday, March 29, and activate Phase 3 on Friday, April 9.

The vaccine is currently available to individuals in Phase 1A and all three tiers of Phase 1B, as defined by the state of Missouri. According to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine website, “Faculty and staff at public, private and/or nonprofit higher education institutions” will be eligible for the vaccine when Phase 2 opens on March 29.

Phase 3, set to open on April 9, will open vaccine eligibility to all Missourians, which will include college students who didn’t previously qualify for the vaccine. For the purposes of the vaccine, college and university students in Missouri are considered “temporary residents” and are eligible to register and receive the COVID-19 vaccination in this state during the appropriate phase of vaccine dissemination.

For more details about the state’s phases, please visit covidvaccine.mo.gov/priority. For a list of vaccine sites in the area and instructions on how to schedule appointments, please visit coronavirus.mst.edu/vaccinations.