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Credit: Navy Medicine via Flickr
Note: This story will be updated as more information is released.
Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health have revealed plans for the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota, which could begin as early as next week.
People most susceptible to serious complications from the virus will be given priority for the vaccine, as well as those who care for them.
This means that healthcare workers and long-term care residents in Minnesota will be given priority, according to recommendations from the federal government.
This will follow in phase 1 of the rollout, which will initially be prioritized only for adults, with children only recently added to clinical trials.
It appears that education students will be among the first priority group after healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.
The vaccines, developed by Moderna and Pfizer, will be shipped to hospitals and other “hubs” across the state, and then distributed to smaller clinics.
The first Pfizer vaccine is expected to arrive next week, followed by Moderna vaccines in the weeks to come. They are both expected to get FDA approval on Thursday.
Patients need 2 doses of the vaccine, with doses for 183,400 patients expected to arrive by the end of the year.
Here are some slides from the governor’s presentation:
There will be logistical challenges, especially with the Pfizer vaccine, which requires storage at 90 degrees below zero, but Walz says trials in Minnesota have been conducted successfully in coordination with the federal government.
But Walz said that because of this, the Pfizer vaccine is more likely to be used in the Twin Cities – where it will be shipped – while the Moderna vaccine will be used more extensively in greater Minnesota.
At this time, the total number of Pfizer vaccines made available to Minnesota after Week 1 – when 46,800 will be shipped – is unknown, as the federal government has missed an opportunity to lock down more orders.
Walz also announced that the state would make efforts to encourage confidence in the vaccine, with Walz acknowledging that some people were concerned that “the federal government has done the right thing” with regard to vaccine development, while that others generally do not trust the vaccine.
To that end, Walz will hold a bipartisan press conference with state lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon to find ways to encourage people to get vaccinated.
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“No wedge has been cut to get this and the FDA is in the process of finalizing the data to provide this,” Walz said.
Minnesota Department of Health director of infectious diseases Kris Ehresmann noted that vaccines have undergone the same “rigorous” testing and testing procedures as any other vaccine.
The reason it’s being rolled out so quickly is that companies like Pfizer and Moderna started manufacturing it before it was fully tested and approved, so they can release it immediately upon approval.
Walz also warned people to be patient during the deployment, with the deployment likely to continue until 2021, and urged the Minnesotans to continue taking precautions such as wearing face masks, social distancing, hand washing and limiting social gatherings.
Vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer have been shown to be effective in more than 94% of cases based on the most recent trials, and the US government is moving forward with a rollout in December.
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