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KSMU is dedicated to broadcasting critically important information as our community experiences the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, you'll find our ongoing coverage.

98-Year-Old Man Volunteers To Be First In 1B-2 Group To Get COVID-19 Vaccine At Mercy Springfield

Mercy

A 98-year-old World War II veteran is the first person to get a coronavirus vaccine in Missouri’s 1B-2 category at Mercy Springfield.

Edgar Fox wrote his primary care physician at the beginning of the year and said he wanted to volunteer to receive the vaccine as soon as he could to “encourage skeptics,” according to Mercy.

He said he wasn’t afraid to get the shot.

"A lot of people went to work for this, and I would tell the skeptics they better not procrastinate if they want to get older," he said.

Fox joined the Marines in 1939.  He said being the first to get the vaccine in the 1B-2 category at Mercy Springfield was a different way to serve again.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.