COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility for Next Two Priority Groups to Open at Once This Week

(KNSI) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the Minnesota Department of Health is opening up the next two COVID-19 vaccination eligibility groups at once.

The announcement comes as the state nears the 70% mark for getting those over 65 fully vaccinated, which Walz says will happen Wednesday. It also comes well ahead of schedule as officials say they got more doses of the vaccine quicker than planned. The timeline for opening up vaccine eligibility wasn’t expected until the end of March.

Those eligible now include Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions; food processing plant workers; and Minnesotans with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness. Providers will then have the flexibility to provide available appointments to other eligible Minnesotans.

A press release from the governor’s office says more than 1.8 million Minnesotans will become eligible to receive a vaccine beginning this week, including those with sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, those receiving cancer treatments, those who are immunocompromised from an organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, immunodeficiency disease, those taking immunosuppressive medications, and oxygen-dependent chronic lung and heart conditions like COPD and chronic heart failure. Other underlying health conditions include kidney disease, COPD, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, artery disease, cardiomyopathy, obesity, and pregnancy.

Targeted essential workers are also in the next group like food processing plant workers, also people with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness.

Minnesotans over 45 with one or more underlying medical conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control, Minnesotans over 16 with two or more underlying medical conditions, Minnesotans age 50 years and older in multi-generational housing, and essential frontline workers like those in the agricultural industry, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, and U.S. Postal Service workers.

In a statement, Walz says, “We asked most Minnesotans to wait patiently while we protected Minnesotans at higher risk and got shots to at least 70% of our seniors. We will hit that milestone on Wednesday – well ahead of schedule. More Minnesotans will now be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, beginning this week. To reach 70% of seniors vaccinated is an incredible accomplishment in itself, but it’s not the end goal: we will continue moving full steam ahead until every Minnesotan who wants a shot gets one.”

The general public is still on track to get vaccinated starting this summer.

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