Before a row of cameras, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov. Tim Walz and former GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty rolled up their sleeves and relaxed their arms as both men received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday.
The bipartisan effort to encourage Minnesotans to seek innoculation against COVID-19 came on the day all state residents 16 and older became eligible for vaccination.
The photo opportunity, however, wasn’t just a feel-good moment to mark the eligibility expansion: State and health leaders are pulling out all the stops to reach people who are hesitant to take the vaccine for a series of reasons, including skepticism of government, the record-fast development of the vaccines, fear of long-lasting side effects and the preservation of personal liberty. Continue reading.