All adult Minnesotans will likely be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine by summer
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
State officials have outlined a plan to vaccinate all adult Minnesotans by the summer, giving state residents a better sense of when they will qualify for a shot.
Who's next: An estimated 72,000 people with high risk conditions, including active cancer, oxygen-dependent lung and heart conditions and sickle-cell anemia, and workers at meatpacking and processing plants, with appointments expected in April.
Millions more Minnesotans will get access throughout the spring and summer, based on their age, health or occupation:
The state of play: More than 783,000 Minnesotans have received at least one dose, according to the state's dashboard. But hundreds of thousands of seniors, teachers and others in the current priority pool are still waiting.
- The state won't move onto the next categories until about 70% of seniors get a vaccine, but Gov. Tim Walz is optimistic the state will hit that benchmark in the weeks ahead.
- Health providers, employers and the state's Vaccine Connector will all play a part in connecting eligible Minnesotans with appointments.
What they're saying: Walz asked that those who are healthy and can work from home "do that courteous Minnesota thing and let a few others get in line."
- "Your time will come up, and it will come up faster than you think," he said.
- The announcement came one year to the day of the first report of someone showing COVID-19 symptoms here in Minnesota, according to Walz.
The (big, but positive) catch: The timing estimates in the above graphic are based on current supply projections.
- Approval of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, expected as soon as this weekend, could speed things up considerably.
The bottom line: If the timeline holds, and distribution goes smoothly, we could be looking at a return to something closer to normal by mid- to late summer.
This story first appeared in the Axios Twin Cities newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.