COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Dear state agency employees,

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our lives, our work, and our communities in many ways. We now know the next stage of the pandemic is near: vaccinations. While this is exciting, it will take several months for the vaccine to reach everyone and for our lives to return to “normal.”

 

As with all our approaches to the pandemic, we are handling the vaccine distribution in a strategic and phased way. Among the first people to be offered the vaccine include State of Minnesota employees who work in health care or in long-term care facilities and fit within the CDC priority definitions.

 

With the vaccine distribution starting this week, here are a few things we want you to know:

• At this time, there will be no enterprise-wide policy requiring all employees to get the vaccine. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people ages 16 and older, we are not creating an enterprise-wide policy making the vaccine mandatory for all state agency employees. Some agencies or divisions may create their own policy requiring employees to get the vaccine based on the nature of the work or funding requirements.
• Stay tuned for more information. Depending on where you work, your agency will share more information about plans to offer the vaccine on-site. For most employees, we expect this will be months away. We will also keep you posted if we plan to host clinics where all employees can get the vaccine, similar to our previous flu shot clinics. For up-to-date information, please visit the Minnesota Department of Health website.

 

What we can all do now

While we wait for everyone to have the opportunity to get a vaccine, it’s important each of us stay diligent with our safety measures. Please continue to keep good hand hygiene, keep your distance, get tested if you are experiencing symptoms, and wear your mask in public. If you are currently teleworking, plan on continuing to do so until later this summer. 

 

Progress on COVID-19 vaccination is a nice way to end a difficult year. While next year will have its own challenges, we have learned new skills and discovered new ways to adapt that have made us stronger. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and resolve.