Lakewood Health System Updates Vaccine Priority Groups

Lakewood Health System, based in Staples, has updated its Vaccine Priority Groups to include phase 1b. Lakewood has started a waitlist for those priority groups, according to a release: people can call 218-894-1515 to be added. (During clinic hours, choose option #2; after hours, stay on the line.)

Per the governor’s update on March 9, COVID-19 vaccination distribution sites began vaccinating the phase 1b priority group as designated by the Minnesota Department of Health on March 10.

Phase 1b priority groups include:

• People age 45-64 years with one or more underlying medical conditions listed below.
• People age 16-44 years (18-44 for those receiving the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines) with two or more underlying medical conditions listed below. 
  • Active cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD
  • Diabetes – type 1 or 2
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Obesity – BMI great than 30 kg/m2
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
• People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk.
• People age 50 years and older in multigenerational housing.
• Food processing facilities.
• Agriculture, additional school and childcare workers, airport staff, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail (grocery), food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, postal service workers, public transit workers, public health workers.