COVID-19 vaccine newsletter – March 3, 2021

  • News
  • Mar 3, 2021

What’s new?

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine approval

With the recent news of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use, vaccine supply in Olmsted County and the state is expected to increase.

All three of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use are safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness, related hospitalizations, and death. When it’s your turn, it’s recommended that you get any of the three vaccines.  

With all three COVID-19 vaccines, you may experience some mild side effects, primarily injection site pain, fatigue, and chills. These symptoms get better without medical care, and usually within 24 to 48 hours.

As a reminder, Olmsted County’s number one goal is to be able to offer a COVID-19 vaccine to all residents as quickly as possible. Currently, our vaccine supply is not enough to be able to vaccinate all those who are waiting. The promising news of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine being added to the available vaccines in our community will help us reach our goal faster.

Take the first opportunity to get vaccinated that is offered to you

Several Olmsted County locations are offering the vaccine in alignment with state guidelines as supply becomes available. You may have the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at multiple locations. We encourage all Olmsted County residents to take the first opportunity to get vaccinated that is offered to you. 

Visit our COVID page regularly for the most up-to-date information. 

People with at least one vaccine dose: 44489. People with completed vaccine series: 31510.

Vaccine status updates

Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS)

As of March 2, 2021, OCPHS has administered 7,577 vaccine doses. Progress is being made as a community with 27.9% of the total population having received at least one dose of vaccine and 20.2% completing the two-dose series.

Olmsted County is in the top five counties in the state with the highest vaccination percentage. Good progress is being made with adults 65 and older with 59.9% of county residents having received at least one dose through their medical provider or one of the state-run clinics. 

OCPHS continues to work with employers to vaccinate remaining individuals in Phase 1A, as well as E-12 educators and child care providers.

E-12 educators and employees

We understand the importance of ensuring Olmsted County’s E-12 educators are given an opportunity to get the vaccine. Clinics are occurring this week and OCPHS continues to communicate with school districts as we have vaccine supply available.

As of Friday, February 26, 2021, 79.4% of E-12 employees in Olmsted County have been offered their first dose (this percentage is based off lists submitted to OCPHS by the county’s school districts as there are multiple ways educators are receiving access to the vaccine).

We are excited to announce that some smaller school districts in the county have been able to offer the first dose to all employees. With Rochester Public Schools (RPS) being the county’s largest school district, it is naturally taking a little longer to get through all 2,839 employees.

We predict that by the end of this week, all RPS employees will have been offered their first dose.

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is continuing to receive a small weekly shipment of COVID-19 vaccine for Minnesota seniors age 65 and older. Given the need to equitably distribute doses and the high number of patients in this age group, Mayo Clinic is vaccinating the oldest seniors first. As more vaccine supply becomes available, Mayo Clinic will expand to other age groups.

Mayo Clinic is currently offering vaccine to patients age 70-74 who have a primary care provider at Mayo, have been seen within the past two years, and have a residence in Minnesota (may include some Iowa and Wisconsin patients).

Mayo Clinic is continuing to vaccinate patients age 75 and older who:

  • Have a primary care provider at Mayo, have been seen within the past two years, and have a residence in Minnesota (may include some Iowa and Wisconsin patients); or,
  • Have been seen at Mayo Clinic within the past two years and have a residence within the catchment area* where they were seen. These criteria will be used for patients who do not have a primary care provider at Mayo — that is, they have been to Mayo for specialty care only.

*The catchment area includes Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Le Sueur, Martin, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Rice, Scott, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonwan, and Winona counties.

Patients who meet these criteria will receive a phone call or an invitation via Patient Online Services to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated for COVID-19. It may take several weeks for Mayo Clinic to be able to vaccinate all patients who are eligible in these age groups.

Olmsted Medical Center (OMC)

Olmsted Medical Center is currently offering vaccinations to patients 70+ (as well as others in the same household age 65+) through a randomized process, as vaccine is available. After this group, OMC will be offering vaccine to patients as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health based on age and risk factor. Vaccinations will also be determined based on availability and amount of vaccine received. OMC does not have a timeframe for when the next groups will begin receiving the vaccine.  

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

The following graphic from MDH shows vaccine distribution by age group in Minnesota.

MDH vaccine distribution by age group in Minnesota

Education / information

Content below provided by Mayo Clinic.

What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

A COVID-19 vaccine might:

  • Prevent you from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill or dying due to COVID-19.
  • Prevent you from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others. 
  • Add to the number of people in the community who are protected from getting COVID-19 — making it harder for the disease to spread and contributing to herd immunity.
  • Prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading and replicating, which allows it to mutate and possibly become more resistant to vaccines.

Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine even if I've already had COVID-19?

Getting COVID-19 might offer some natural protection or immunity from reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19. But it's not clear how long this protection lasts. Because reinfection is possible and COVID-19 can cause severe medical complications, it's recommended that people who have already had COVID-19 get a COVID-19 vaccine. If you’ve had COVID-19, you might delay vaccination until 90 days after your diagnosis. Reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after you are first infected.