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On Wednesday, he urged people to get vaccinated but said he would never mandate vaccinations.
“Unvaccinated Missourians are the primary target of this new strain,” he said of the spreading delta variant. “The vaccine has been proven safe and effective against it.”
‘Turn off the clutter’
Parson, at the news conference held at the Capitol, also blamed social media platforms for spreading “misinformation” about vaccines.
“I ask you to turn off the clutter,” Parson said. “What we need now is good information.”
Later, however, he accused the Post-Dispatch, the Kansas City Star and Missouri Independent of spreading “propaganda.” Parson, who didn’t cite any examples, often complains about coverage of his administration.
A spokeswoman for the governor did not respond to a request for examples of news coverage with which he disagrees.
The new health director, meanwhile, also said people need to find accurate sources of information about vaccinations.
“Don’t look at social media,” Kauerauf said.
Kauerauf replaces Williams, who had started his role in 2017 as an appointee of former Gov. Eric Greitens.