The start of the 2021-2022 academic school year is less than 1 month away for universities with 1,000’s of students to kindergarteners excited to have their first day of school. Mask wearing and flattening the curve to minimize new Covid-19 infections will be key to have a safe school year, although according to Freeman’s Dr. Robert McNab, it might not be enough. “When we do the right things, when we wear our masks, when we, socially isolate, when we keep that protective distance, when we’re doing the right things, the curve does flatten out. But just like a spring that you take your hands off of the second, we stop applying that pressure to flatten it out it seems to spring back up again”.

Covid-19 vaccines are readily available throughout Missouri at no cost for anybody over the age of 12. Visit Freemanhealth.com or call 417-502-SHOT in Joplin. Or visit vaccine417.com to find the nearest pharmacy or clinic that is providing vaccinations throughout Southwest Missouri.