Minnesota Expands COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility, Will Open Pilot Vaccination Site in St. Cloud

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(KNSI) – The state of Minnesota is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility pool, debuting a pilot program to begin vaccinating people 65 and older, preschool through 12th grade educators, other school staff and child care workers.

Nine pilot sites around the state — including one in St. Cloud — will start administering doses Thursday by appointment only. It is not yet clear where the pilot vaccination site in St. Cloud will be located.

“These new state sites will immediately provide more vaccines to some Minnesotans who are eligible for their shot,” Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. “More importantly, this pilot program will help Minnesota continue to build up a broad and multi-channel vaccine distribution system with our local public health, healthcare and pharmacy partners for vaccine access once the federal government begins shipping a higher volume of doses.”

According to Governor Tim Walz’s office, eligible Minnesotans can start scheduling appointments around noon Tuesday. However, educators and school staff should wait to schedule an appointment until their employer confirms that they have been selected to get the vaccine, according to Minnesota’s Find My Vaccine web page.

“We are building for the future and doing what we can to get more shots to Minnesotans right now,” Walz said. “By beginning to serve those age 65 and older, educators and child care workers, we are immunizing for impact. It’s a step in the right direction on this long road to recovery.”

Vaccinations will continue for long-term care residents and staff and frontline healthcare workers. The Minnesota Department of Health anticipates hitting its goal of doling out first doses to everyone in phase 1A by the end of the month.

The governor’s office does caution that there is a limited supply of vaccines available to Minnesotans, and the state’s weekly allotment of vaccines has not increased despite recent pressure on states from the Department of Health and Human Services to broaden vaccine eligibility as soon as possible.

“The federal government has been giving mixed messages on vaccine availability and guidance, and we need them to step up and get more vaccine to the state,” Walz said. “When they do, we will be ready. The end of this pandemic is closer today than it was yesterday.”

Walz, along with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar last week criticizing the federal government’s actions to withhold second doses of the vaccine for states.

“Pfizer just announced that as of yesterday, they have millions of doses of the vaccine on hand and are waiting on addresses from the Trump administration so they can deliver the vaccine to states,” the governors wrote on January 15th. “If you are unable or unwilling to give us that supply, we urge you to grant permission for us to directly purchase vaccines so we may distribute them to the people of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota as quickly as possible.”

The nine pilot vaccination sites will be located in Anoka, Brooklyn Center, Fergus Falls, Marshall, Mountain Iron, North Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud and Thief River Falls.

So far, 194,462 Minnesotans have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.