COVID-19 vaccine newsletter – March 23, 2021

  • News
  • Mar 23, 2021
Collage of community members wearing masks with the words "Get the COVID vaccine when it's your turn"

What's new

Our comeback story can’t be written without you. Public Health, Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center, and other community partners have teamed up to provide up-to-date and important information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. All three vaccines are safe and effective. Get the COVID vaccine when it’s your turn and encourage your friends, family, and loved ones to get vaccinated. Our best hope to come back together as family, friends, and a community is with the COVID-19 vaccines. Help Olmsted County become a community of immunity. Join us at www.olmstedcounty.gov/covid and on Facebook.

A headshot of James Hill, M.D.

Sharing your comeback story

“Together, we can and will beat COVID-19. I have confidently recommended these vaccines to my loved ones and family after I received one myself. Let’s end this thing!” 

-James Hill, M.D.

V-Safe

COVID-19 vaccine safety continues to be a top priority at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC relies on several systems to monitor vaccine safety, including v-safe, a new, smartphone-based tool. V-safe after vaccination health checker allows users to report side effects after receiving their COVID-19 vaccination to CDC in almost real-time. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one. V-safe is now available in English, Korean, simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Watch this video to learn more.

COVID-19 restrictions relaxed yet continued adherence to public health recommendations still needed

The State of Minnesota and the CDC are relaxing some of the restrictions put in place nearly a year ago, but this doesn’t mean we can or should abandon the health and safety practices and behaviors we’ve all been doing that has helped us reduce COVID-19 transmissions, morbidity, and mortality. We need to continue wearing masks, keep our distance from others in public and workspaces, wash our hands frequently, and stay home when ill until we have a significant amount of our population vaccinated. Each week, we are vaccinating more and more people and we are getting closer to achieving herd immunity.

Additional resources:

Who’s getting vaccinated? Who is eligible?

As of 3/21/21, people with at least one vaccine dose: 59,895. People with completed vaccine series: 42,332.
COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility from MDH

Updates

Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS)

Steady progress continues to be made – over 25% of Minnesotans have had at least a dose of vaccine, and 15% are fully vaccinated. Olmsted County has vaccinated over 50% of our eligible residents (16+ of age)! 86% of those 65 and older and 47% of those aged 50 - 64 years of age have received at least one dose.

This week OCPHS continues to vaccinate employees working in Phase 1b tier 3. All businesses in Olmsted County should fill out the vaccine planning form as soon as possible. Vaccination clinics are held two to four times each week. Businesses are contacted and provided registration for their employees. The sooner the business completes the form, the faster their employees can be vaccinated.

We are seeing a small uptick in our case counts recently – 130 compared to 108 the previous week. With vaccinations increasing and the loosening of restrictions, we want to make sure people understand that the COVID disease is still present in our community and remind them that it is still very important to:

  1. Get Tested: if someone has COVID symptoms or if they were exposed to a COVID individual.
  2. Stay Home: if you have symptoms stay home from school/work/activities.

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is vaccinating phase 1b, tiers 2 and 3 in accordance with guidance from the state of Minnesota. Eligibility, including specific high-risk conditions, is outlined on the Minnesota COVID-19 Response website.

Mayo Clinic will prioritize vaccinations for patients who fall in tiers 2 and 3 and meet the criteria outlined below:

  • Have a primary care provider at Mayo Clinic; have been seen at Mayo within the past two years; and reside in Minnesota, including Minnesota residents seen at Iowa and Wisconsin clinics.
  • Have received specialty care at Mayo Clinic within the past two years and reside in one of these state-designated southern Minnesota counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Le Sueur, Martin, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Rice, Scott, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonwan or Winona.

Patients who meet these criteria will receive a phone call, an invitation via Patient Online Services, or a letter to schedule an appointment to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Olmsted Medical Center (OMC)

Based on the Governor’s recommendations, OMC has expanded vaccine eligibility. OMC will continue to use a randomized process as the vaccine is available and will vaccinate patients as fast as possible based on the amount of vaccine received.

This week, OMC will be vaccinating the following patients:

  • Ages 16-44 with two or more of the following underlying conditions: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cancer, heart conditions, immunocompromised, obesity, Diabetes Type 1 or 2, and pregnancy.
  • Ages 45-64 with one or more of the following underlying conditions: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cancer, heart conditions, immunocompromised, obesity, Diabetes Type 1 or 2, and pregnancy.
  • Age 65+ and people with specific underlying health conditions (age 16+): Sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, those in cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant, oxygen-dependent Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and oxygen-dependent Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

When OMC moves through this group, they will offer vaccines to patients as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) based on age and risk factors. Vaccinations will also be determined based on the availability and the amount of vaccine received.

Education / Information

Mayo Clinic’s Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which has county-by-county information on COVID-19 cases and trends nationwide, now offers predictive modeling that forecasts where hot spots will emerge over the next 14 days. The predictive modeling uses Mayo Clinic data analysis and expertise to forecast trends in COVID-19 cases and is based on modeling that Mayo Clinic has used to anticipate COVID-19 cases at its locations and to assist public health agencies. Predictive forecasting can be especially helpful to people with family and friends in other states, and for those planning to travel. Additional design and functionality enhancements have been made to the Coronavirus Map tracking tool, which is available in English and Spanish.