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March 18, 2021
In this issue
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) at Hennepin County Public Health (HCPH) remains committed to providing resources, technical assistance, and evidence-based information for subrecipients and people with HIV (PWH) to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phase 1b of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in Minnesota on March 10, 2021, and includes many people with HIV. The COVID-19 vaccine brings optimism amid this yearlong pandemic, but continued vigilance is needed as COVID-19 variants raise concerns among public health professionals. The RWHAP consulted with the HCPH epidemiology and communications teams in the development of this update.
Beginning on March 10, 2021, Minnesota advanced the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to Phase 1b. This phase includes:
- People 45-64 with one or more underlying medical conditions.
- People 16-44 with two or more underlying medical conditions.
HIV is considered one of these underlying medical conditions.
The specifics of the rollout are continually updated. You can find the most recent information, including all eligible underlying medical conditions, on the Minnesota state government website in a consumer-friendly format (Who’s Getting Vaccinated?, https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/whos-getting-vaccinated/vaccinated.jsp)
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has the same information with more technical details (COVID-19 Vaccine Phases and Planning, https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine/plan.html).
As subrecipient staff, you will likely be asked questions by your clients about the COVID-19 vaccine. Please continue to refer to MDH and CDC COVID resources for information on COVID-19 and HIV. If your client has questions about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please connect them with their HIV medical provider.
 Encourage your clients to sign up in the Hennepin County vaccine registration system
Register to receive a vaccine at https://hennepin.us/vaccineregistration
- After you register in the Hennepin County system, you will be contacted to make a vaccine appointment when you meet the current eligibility guidelines
- You do not have to be a Hennepin County resident to register in the system
You can also register to receive a vaccine through the State of Minnesota’s vaccine connector tool: https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/
- Registering in the Hennepin County vaccine registration system does not make you ineligible for the state’s vaccine connector tool. You can register in both.
COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions
Hennepin County has COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions (FAQs) that are continually updated:
The Hennepin County COVID-19 vaccine FAQs link to other trusted vaccine FAQs:
You can also call the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Helpline: 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For general health questions about COVID-19 and vaccines, press 2 or 3.
You may have seen in the news, or been asked by clients, about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changing their guidance for small gatherings among people that are fully vaccinated. We encourage you to read the full recommendation from the CDC website (When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html).
Key points:
- You must be fully vaccinated for these guidelines to apply. Fully vaccinated means it has been at least 14 days since your 1st dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine or 2nd dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
- If you are fully vaccinated, you can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
- Continue to wear a mask in public settings.
As of mid-March, four SARS-CoV-2 variant strains have been identified in Minnesota. More than 250 confirmed and presumed (genome sequencing nearly complete) cases of B.1.1.7, the United Kingdom (UK) variant, have been identified in Minnesota. Outbreaks from this variant have been found in two long term care facilities as well as an outbreak related to high-school athletics in Carver County. Fewer cases of other variants have been confirmed in Minnesota.
Questions remain regarding these new variants. However, the increased transmissibility of and evidence of increased severity of illness from the new COVID-19 variants emphasizes the need to continue to follow steps for reducing your risk of COVID-19:
- Wear a mask
- Stay six feet apart from others in public places
- Cover your coughs or sneezes
- Wash your hands frequently
- Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed
- Stay at home if you are sick or waiting on test results
Everyone should continue to wear a mask. MDH and CDC both endorse a double mask for additional protection. However, MDH has noted many people aren’t even wearing one mask or aren’t wearing one properly. If a second mask will be a barrier to you consistently masking, wear one mask properly. Make sure your mask fits securely and covers your nose and mouth. Again, continue to wear a mask even if you are fully vaccinated. The CDC article below provides tips on how to improve the fit of a single mask and how to effectively double mask.
The double mask recommendation stems from this CDC study: Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7007e1.htm?s_cid=mm7007e1_w
Everyone should continue to wear a mask. MDH and CDC both endorse a double mask for additional protection. However, MDH has noted many people aren’t even wearing one mask or aren’t wearing one properly. If a second mask will be a barrier to you consistently masking, wear one mask properly. Make sure your mask fits securely and covers your nose and mouth. Again, continue to wear a mask even if you are fully vaccinated. The CDC article below provides tips on how to improve the fit of a single mask and how to effectively double mask.
The double mask recommendation stems from this CDC study: Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7007e1.htm?s_cid=mm7007e1_w
The CDC updated their What to Know about HIV and COVID-19 webpage on February 1, 2021 (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/hiv.html). This had not been updated since July 2020, so the RWHAP wanted to highlight this resource.
All the information we share with you is available on the RWHAP webpage (https://www.hennepin.us/business/work-with-henn-co/ryan-white-hiv-services#Ryan-White-COVID-19-response).
Finally, as we mark a year since the first COVID-19 case in Minnesota, thank you for the extraordinary work you have done to assist people with HIV in these most challenging times. The entire RWHAP team greatly appreciates your efforts.
Please reach out if you have questions for the RWHAP recipient staff. We are here to support you and the clients you serve.
About us
The Ryan White newsletter provides information about HIV services planning, contract administration, quality management, CAREWare updates, training opportunities, and other information relevant to Hennepin County’s Ryan White Program community. Your feedback and suggestions for future issues are appreciated.
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