Walz Announces Vaccine Pilot Program to Begin Vaccinating More Minnesotans

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz announced a pilot program on Monday to vaccinate teachers, child care workers and individuals over 65 as the state aims to expand its coronavirus vaccine rollout amid concerns of a limited supply of doses from the federal government.

State officials will open nine community sites this week to vaccinate adults over 65, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educators, school staff and child care workers. The program expands distribution efforts beyond the first high-priority group that includes healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff, who began receiving doses last month.

“It’s a step in the right direction on this long road to recovery,” Walz said in a release. “The federal government has been giving mixed messages on vaccine availability and guidance, and we need them to step up and get more vaccine to the state. When they do, we will be ready. The end of this pandemic is closer today than it was yesterday.”

The nine sites, which will begin administering doses Thursday, are appointment-only due to the small number of doses that are available.

Minnesota’s vaccine rollout has progressed slower than expected, in part due to a more limited supply of doses than anticipated. In a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Walz, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers urged the administration to purchase more doses in the coming weeks to ramp up distribution in their states.

As of Friday, Minnesota has administered first doses to 194,462 individuals across the state, and 38,025 have received their second dose, according to the state’s dashboard. Minnesota is on pace to administer the first of two doses to all healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff in the first high-priority group.