JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri health officials say nearly 25% of the state’s residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot. The health department’s COVID-19 dashboard reported Tuesday that 1.5 million Missourians have begun the vaccination process, and 902,026 are fully vaccinated. One of the highest vaccination rates is in Joplin, where officials say more than 31% of the city’s 51,000 received at least one shot. Health department director Ryan Talken credits the city’s high rate to having two large hospitals, combined with health care groups that work well together to share available vaccines. As of Tuesday, the state has confirmed 488,968 cases of COVID-19, and 8,498 deaths.