Gov. Mike Parson said Missouri is ready to move to Tier 3 of Phase 1B of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, which is focused on vaccinating critical infrastructure, including teachers, childcare workers, government employees, food and agriculture workers.The third tier of Phase 1B will go into effect on March 15, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the vaccinations protect “those who keep the essential functions of society running.”[ MISSOURI VACCINATION PLAN ]Missouri currently is vaccinating Phase 1A, and tier one and tier two of Phase 1B. When the third tier is in effect, first responders, public health infrastructure, high-risk individuals, people 65 or older and teachers, faculty and staff in public, private and nonprofit schools pre K-12 will be eligible to get vaccinated. Also included in the third tier are people working in the communications sector, energy sector, water and wastewater system, information and technology sector and government officials. You can read a full eligibility list here. “Missouri has had a vaccine plan since October, and this has not changed. We have been very disciplined in following our plan,” Parson said. “With vaccine supply steadily increasing, we believe we are in a good position to activate Phase 1B - Tier 3, which will make approximately 550,000 more Missourians eligible to receive a vaccine.”“While supply is still limited, we are expecting slow and steady increases, and activating Tier 3 on March 15 will allow us to continue making progress as supply expands. If vaccine supply continues to increase, and if we continue to make the progress we’ve been seeing, we believe that we will be ready to activate Phase 2 within 45 days of March 15.” Phase 2 will vaccinate those who have been who have been disproportionately affected and accelerating economic recovery, including the homeless population.Parson has been under mounting pressure to get teachers and educators vaccinated. While some school districts have continued virtual learning, thousands of teachers are back in classrooms face to face with students. The Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education said in a recent report that around 95% of Missouri’s school buildings are open to students in some form. Last week, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported Missouri teachers sent letters to State Health Director Dr. Randall Williams requesting to be bumped up on the list to make educators a priority. However, when visiting with the media last week, Williams said there was no plan to move teachers to the front of the vaccination line.“Those people who are more likely to get sick, and bluntly, to pass away if they get COVID, continue to be the governor’s focus and my focus and all of our focus,” Williams said. “So, the answer is that’s what’s guiding us and will continue to guide us.”Several neighboring states, including Kansas and Illinois, have already begun vaccinating teachers, deeming school staff as front-line essential workers. Recently, President Joe Biden said during a CNN town hall that teachers should be moved to the front of the line.The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Thursday there have been 477,078 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak and 7,902 deaths. Overall the state said 12.3% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose.