Minnesota’s Vaccination Plan
On Thursday, Senate Republicans applauded Governor Walz’s decision to allow hospitals and vaccine providers to vaccinate individuals aged 65 and older. Senators have been pressuring Governor Walz to speed up vaccination processes by working with local partners and considering all options. Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination roll-out has been slower than the national average and much slower than our neighboring states.
While our state is in the early stages of our vaccine roll-out, healthcare workers and seniors must be prioritized. I applaud this administration for changing course with its decision to vaccinate our more vulnerable Minnesotans who are aged 65 and older.”
Yet I remain concerned about Minnesota’s vaccine distribution to date. Minnesota continues to rank behind our neighbors, a sign that we have more work to do. Republicans and Democrats share a common goal here. We want the vaccination available to whoever ever wants it as quickly as possible. Hopefully, by working together, we can speed up our distribution, protect lives, and get Minnesota back on track.
The State Vaccine Advisory group met earlier this week to discuss Governor Walz’s current vaccination plan. Previously, seniors will be phased into vaccination efforts over three total phases. The percentage of distributed vaccines that have been administered in Minnesota is at 36%, while neighboring states North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa are at 74%, 58%, and 47%, respectively. According to the Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), COVID-19 mortality rates are also highest among older adults. Compared with persons aged 35-54 years, those aged 65-74 years have eight times higher risk, and those aged 75 years and older have over a thirty times higher risk for COVID-19 deaths.
A number of Minnesota residents who testified in Senate committees this week cited concerns over the lack of communication to the public, nonexistent transparency regarding decisions being made about vaccination phases, the withholding of doses, and seniors not receiving a priority timeline.
The CDC recently advised states they could vaccinate individuals 65 years and older. Other states had begun doing this much earlier than Minnesota.
Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing
Senate Aging and Long-Term Care Committee hearing
Vaccination Questions
For those with any questions on the COVID-19 vaccine and questions about vaccinations, I encourage you to use the website portals from Sanford Health, Avera Health, and the Department of Health provided below:
Sandford Health: https://news.sanfordhealth.org/category/immunizations/
Avera Health: https://www.avera.org/services/primary-care/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine/
Minnesota Department of Health: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine/basics.html
These are important issues that Minnesotans need to research. The information provided above will allow you to make an informed decision, and I hope it will help you through that process.
From conversations with health care providers in our region, I hear that the majority of those covered in the first round will be done in our area by next week. After that, they will follow the new guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health mentioned in the section above
Like me, you’ve probably heard stories from across the country that some doses of the vaccine have been thrown away due to there being insufficient numbers of people to receive it. I have been assured by providers in our region that this has not been an issue in Southwestern, Minnesota.
As the vaccine roll-out continues across our state over the coming months, I will be sure to keep you informed on any developments regarding eligibility and distribution as they happen.
Supporting Law Enforcement and Those Working in the Criminal Justice System
Senate and House Republicans introduced a bill that strengthens state criminal penalties against individuals convicted of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, judge, prosecutor, or correctional officer. The legislation Senate File 82 increases the minimum sentence from 20 years with release under supervision after two-third of the sentence is served to life incarceration with a minimum of 30 years in prison before being eligible for release.
The legislation was spurred after Officer Arik Matson, a Waseca police officer, was nearly killed in the line of duty last January.
Every single day, thousands of law enforcement officers across Minnesota answer the call of duty and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our families and our communities. Thanks to the bravery of these men and women, our state maintains a sense of law and order. Unfortunately, there are those out there that hold themselves above the law, criminals who don’t care for our protectors’ wellbeing or the impact their choices may have on our officers’ families and friends. The legislation introduced today shows that that mentality will not be tolerated, reaffirming that safety of our law enforcement remains paramount in this state.