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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Good news – vaccine supply has been steadily increasing and both Goodhue and Wabasha counties have open slots at their vaccination clinics early this week.
As of Monday, in Goodhue county 61% of seniors 65+ have received at least one dose of vaccine; in Wabasha county, it is 66%.
In total, Goodhue County has 10,180 people who have received one dose and 4,933 who have completed two doses. In Wabasha County, approximately 6,000 people have been vaccinated.
If you are over 65 years of age, you should be eligible to receive a vaccine appointment. The Vaccine Connector Tool from MDH and the Goodhue County 65+ Vaccine Clinic are great tools for finding your vaccine appointment.
Reminder to keep doing the basics: handwashing, wearing a mask in public places, and social distancing.
This will be the last Tuesday update dedicated solely to vaccines – but I will continue to update as things change on my Friday weekly email updates.
Goodhue County - Get Your Vaccine!
I received a note from health officials at Goodhue County and they may have open slots this week. If you are eligible here is how to register and get your vaccine:
Registration for Goodhue County Health & Human Services COVID-19 vaccine clinics taking place this week is now open to adults ages 65+. BEFORE REGISTERING please read important safety information located here: https://www.co.goodhue.mn.us/1407/Register-for-Your-Vaccine
To register for an appointment visit: https://www.cognitoforms.com/GoodhueCountyHealthHumanServices/COVIDVaccinationClinic65
• You will need an email address, phone number, and your mother’s maiden name when registering. Please have this information with you, before you begin.
• THIS VACCINE REGISTRATION IS ONLY OPEN TO ADULTS AGES 65+.
If you need assistance or do not have access to the internet, please call 651-385-2000 to register.
Expanded Vaccine Eligibility
Today, it was announced that on Wednesday, March 10 vaccine eligibility will expand to the next two groups of priority populations – more than 1.8 million Minnesotans will become eligible to receive a vaccine beginning this week. These newly-eligible Minnesotans, the state has directed providers to prioritize appointments for individuals in the first of these groups. Providers will then have the flexibility to offer available appointments to people in the second group.
The first group includes:
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People with specific underlying health conditions: Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
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Targeted essential workers: Food processing plant workers
- Minnesotans with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness
The second group includes:
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People age 45 and older with ONE or more of the following underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more of the following underlying medical conditions (learn more about these conditions on the Who’s Getting Vaccinated page):
- Active cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Diabetes - Type 1 or 2
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or from taking immunosuppressive medications
- Obesity - body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
- Pregnancy
- People 50+ in multi-generational housing
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Essential frontline workers: Agricultural, 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, Postal Service workers.
In the days ahead, the Vaccine Connector will inform newly-eligible Minnesotans about vaccine opportunities in their area. If you are eligible, you may also be selected to make an appointment at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program sites. If you are selected, you will be notified by text, email, or phone call by one of the state vaccination partners running those sites, Vault Health or Primary Bio. Additional community vaccination sites may launch as the federal government makes more vaccines available in the future.
If you are eligible to get vaccinated, you do not have to wait for information from the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector before you get your shot. You can connect with your primary health care provider or use the Find Vaccine Locations map to find a vaccine appointment near you. If you are an essential frontline worker, your employer may be reaching out with information about vaccination opportunities.
Visit the Who’s Getting Vaccinated page to learn more about the phases and when you will become eligible.
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