MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Tuesday that the state is expanding its vaccine distribution to include more Minnesota residents, as the goal of vaccinating 70% of the elderly was achieved weeks ahead of schedule.
Because of an increase in the supply of vaccines from the federal government, Minnesota in the next two phases of implementation – more than 1.8 million people – will be eligible for the vaccine starting on Wednesday. These groups include Minnesotans with underlying health problems and certain essential workers.
Here is an analysis of those in the next two phases:
Phase 1b Level 2
– Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions: sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, those undergoing cancer treatment or immunocompromised by organ transplantation, chronic oxygen-dependent lung and heart disease.
– Targeted essential workers: Food processing plant workers.
– Minnesotans with rare diseases or disabilities that put them at greater risk for serious diseases.
Phase 1b Level 3
– Minnesota aged 45 or older with one or more underlying medical conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control.
– Minnesota aged 16 or older with two or more underlying medical conditions.
– Minnesotans with 50 years or more in homes for several generations. These are defined as houses where people of two or more generations reside, such as an elder and a grandson.
– Essential frontline workers: Farmers, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional institutions, first respondents, food production, food retail, food service, judiciary workers, manufacturing, health workers public health, public transport and US postal service workers.
Minnesota residents are encouraged to sign up for the state’s Vaccine Connector, which will alert users when they are qualified and tell them where to get an injection. In some circumstances, healthcare professionals and employers will provide individuals with more information on where to get the vaccine.
At the end of last month, authorities projected that 70% of the elderly would have been vaccinated by the end of March. After that, the implementation was configured to expand. But due to an increase in vaccine supply and the distribution of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the state’s schedule has been delayed well ahead of schedule. Still, the initial schedule suggested that all Minnesota residents would be able to get a vaccine by the summer.
The governor detailed the expansion at a news conference on Tuesday morning, saying “now, we can accelerate”.
“We asked most miners to wait patiently while protecting high-risk miners and we had vaccines from at least 70% of the elderly. We will reach that milestone on Wednesday – well ahead of schedule. More Minnesotans will now be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, starting this week, ”said Walz. “Reaching 70% of the vaccinated elderly is an incredible achievement in itself, but it is not the ultimate goal: we will continue to advance at full speed until every miner who wants a chance has one.”
Since December, more than 1.6 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Minnesota, and more than half a million Minnesota residents have received the two injections required for the Pfizer and Modera vaccines.