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June 26, 2026
In This Edition
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) RespSafe program recognizes hospitals and long-term care facilities committed to improving influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates among their healthcare personnel. Participants implemented strategies that strongly encouraged and/or offered the flu and COVID-19 vaccine to staff.
- Pipestone County Medical Center and Family Clinic won gold (met the 80% coverage goal for flu vaccine).
- Welia Health Mora Hospital took home silver (met the 75% coverage goal for flu vaccine).
- Eight other facilities, all from Greater Minnesota, received bronze (participated).
Check out the full list of participating facilities, sign up for updates on how to participate for the 2026-27 season, and more at RespSafe.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted on and finalized its recommendation of XFG, a JN.1-lineage variant, for the 2026-27 monovalent COVID-19 vaccine. This allows manufacturers to move forward with production. For more information visit FDA: COVID-19 Vaccines (2026-2027 Formula) for Use in the United States Beginning in Fall 2026.
If FDA licensure proceeds as anticipated, XFG-based vaccines are expected to be available this fall from manufacturers, including products from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sanofi. Although FDA approved VRBPAC’s recommendation for the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine formulation, FDA still needs to grant final licensure and approval for the manufactured product. In the past, final approvals happened between August and September. Until the new formulation is fully licensed, vaccine manufacturers cannot begin shipping the product.
The Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are expected to publish information on the safety, effectiveness, and use of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines prior to the respiratory season. For more information, visit VIP: 2026-27 Respiratory Season and AAP plans fall rollout of new immunization guidance ‘in the best interest of children’.
MDH encourages clinics and pharmacies to continue to carry the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine formulation until the updated 2026-27 product is received. This is to ensure that those who are at highest risk of severe disease have access to vaccine, especially those who have never been vaccinated or are recommended to receive additional doses (65 years of age and older or immunocompromised). Providers should still consider an eight-week minimum interval between doses of COVID-19 vaccine at this time.
The 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine will remain available to order through the Minnesota Vaccines for Children (MnVFC) Program until the 2026-27 vaccine becomes available. Based on information from the federal Vaccines for Children program, the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine is also expected to be available through the MnVFC Program. Providers should consider surveillance trends, risk of exposure, and severity of disease for their patients when determining which COVID-19 vaccine formulation to administer. For up-to-date data visit Viral Respiratory Illness in Minnesota (Data & Statistics).
Mpox continues to circulate in Minnesota and across the U.S., with 11 cases reported in Minnesota so far this year. Recent epidemiologic investigations have identified several close contacts of confirmed mpox cases who required post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), some of whom were exposed in healthcare settings when appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) was not used when examining patients with mpox.
Healthcare workers and other close contacts exposed to mpox are recommended to receive mpox vaccine (JYNNEOS) as PEP. Providers are encouraged to consider stocking JYNNEOS for patients who may benefit from pre-exposure vaccination, as well as for occupational health needs and people requiring PEP following a known exposure. For more information visit Mpox Information for Health Professionals.
Healthcare facilities that do not routinely stock the vaccine should identify pharmacies or healthcare partners that maintain inventory and establish a process for obtaining vaccine quickly when needed. Having a plan in place before an exposure occurs can help ensure timely vaccination of patients and exposed healthcare workers, minimizing delays and supporting effective mpox prevention and response efforts.
At the end of July, Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) webpages will be reorganized and updated. These updates will simplify and expand access to the information that members of the public, organizational users, and healthcare providers rely on when using MIIC. Once the updates are live, all MIIC administrators and users should update any saved bookmarks in their web browsers.
We will send more information once the updates go live. If you have any questions about these changes, email the MIIC Help Desk at health.miichelp@state.mn.us.
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