State of Minnesota Enlists ‘Vaccine Ambassadors’ to Promote Inoculation Against COVID-19

(KNSI) – The state of Minnesota is encouraging more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as city, business and sports leaders sign up to be vaccine ambassadors.

According to Gov. Tim Walz’s office, the ambassadors will reach out to members of their communities through social media, phone calls and more to promote getting vaccinated.

The cohort includes Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer, Land O’Lakes president and CEO Beth Ford, University of Minnesota head football coach PJ Fleck, and singer, rapper and writer Dessa, who said in a statement that she’s “never been more excited to rock a Band-Aid.”

“I really encourage everyone to get vaccinated and the faster we can all do that, the faster we can all gather around each other as Minnesotans,” said Lindsay Whalen, University of Minnesota’s head women’s basketball coach and vaccine ambassador. “I want to pack the barn next season and in order to do that we need to all get our vaccines.”

Minnesota’s other vaccine ambassadors are Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian, civil rights activist Dr. Josie Johnson and Best Buy CMO Dr. Daniel Grossman (who is also an emergency medicine physician).

“At this stage of our vaccination efforts, every conversation counts — every person who turns out to get their shot is critical to reaching that level of broad community protection we need to keep Minnesotans safe as we get back to normal,” Walz said. “These Minnesota leaders recognize the importance of vaccines and are providing a great service to our state that will help put the pandemic behind us.”

More than 3 million Minnesotans — 64.1 percent of the state’s 12-and-older population — have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose to date.

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