Covid-19's Delta variant stalks communities; spurs renewed call for vaccinations

Paul Washington of Grandview receives a Covid-19 vaccination at the LINC Morning Star vaccination clinic in Kansas City in April 2021.

For the fully vaccinated, the summer has opened wide to nearly all the activities we enjoyed before Covid-19.

But for the many people in our Kansas City communities who remain unvaccinated, the Covid’s Delta variant brings an intensified threat that is putting Missouri at the top of the list for the rate of Covid deaths and hospitalizations.

The Morning Star-LINC vaccination clinic’s 5-month campaign:

Vaccination info: kclinc.org/coronavirus

Missouri and Arkansas now have the highest rates of new cases, according to the New York Times. A surge of cases in downstate Missouri saw 17 Covid deaths reported in Springfield — with none of the victims being fully vaccinated, the Kansas City Star reported.

Vaccines are readily available in the Kansas City area, for either walk-up visits or appointments. LINC keeps track of opportunities on our coronavirus information page.

LINC’s dedication to helping its community get protected led to the establishment of a clinic in partnership with Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, Missouri National Guard and Kansas City Fire Department. The partners delivered 24,773 vaccinations targeting under-served neighborhoods in East Kansas City before the clinic ended June 30.

Now, as demand has waned, the mission urged by the CDC, the Kansas City and Jackson County health departments and community leaders like retired public health administrator Jim Nunnelly is to encourage people who have been reluctant so far to get vaccinated.

Nunnelly has been sharing coronavirus information, about testing and then vaccinations, and is supporting efforts like the campaign by 15-year-old Skyelar Anderson with Arts Tech of Kansas City to rally other young people to get their friends, family members and neighbors vaccinated.

“THESE YOUNG FOLKS ARE DETERMINED to act!!!” Nunnelly posted.

Graphic by the New York Times. Sources: State and local health agencies, the CDC and the U.S. Census

The CDC is reporting that the Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S. are proving to be strong defenses against the coronavirus and the Delta variant. The recent rise in hospitalizations and deaths has been driven by the variant that in almost all cases is striking people who are not vaccinated — including a 45-year-old woman in Grain Valley, Mo.

Tricia Jones died June 9 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City. Her mother, Deborah Carmichael, lamented that her daughter had been uncertain about the vaccines and had decided to wait.

“Please take this seriously,” Carmichael said on WDAF-TV FOX4. “You don’t want to see a family member you love go through this. You have a way better chance of coming out OK than if you don’t.”