Tag: COVID-19 vaccine

Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) COVID-19 Vaccine Update

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Hi Neighbors,

Two weeks ago, I sent you an email with information about Minnesota’s vaccine rollout. Thanks to your helpful feedback and response to that email, my team and I have added additional information and some updates since my last email. This information was compiled on March 3rd, 2021 and will change as more vaccines become available, so please check here for the latest information about COVID-19 vaccinations from the Minnesota Department of Health.

As you may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for a new, single-shot COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, February 27th, 2021. This is now the third vaccine to receive authorization in the US. You can read about the FDA’s process for review and authorization here. While I expect that this will further accelerate the timeline for vaccine distribution, as President Biden noted earlier this week, please read on to find more information about the current state of vaccine distribution in Minnesota:

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VACCINES FOR VETERANS

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is currently offering and administering COVID-19 vaccines to veterans already receiving care from the VA, based on CDC and VA risk criteria. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, the VA health care system will contact you. Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at VA can visit VA’s Eligibility web page to learn more. 

Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips (CD3) COVID-19 Vaccine Update”

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 26, 2021

Governor Walz: State to Vaccinate 70% of Seniors by End of March Before Expanding Vaccine Eligibility

Minnesota COVID Vaccination Plan


This week, Governor Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will remain focused on vaccinating most of the state’s seniors before expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Governor Walz issued guidance to vaccinate 70% of adults 65 years of age and older before expanding eligibility, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March. The directive is the latest commitment of the Walz-Flanagan Administration to vaccinating seniors and keeping them safe.

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Rep. Laurie Pryor (HD48A) Update: September 26, 2021


Neighbors,

I am still taking your feedback on issues that may be discussed this legislative session. Your priorities are important to me. Please take a moment to click on this link and complete my legislative survey. 

You are invited to join Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn, Sen. Cwodzinski, and me on Tuesday, March 16 for a virtual town hall. Details to follow.

Paid Family Medical Leave

This week, we heard compelling testimony in the Early Childhood Finance and Policy Committee, of which I serve as Vice-Chair, on the Paid Family Medical Leave bill. Whether we need to stay home to care for ourselves when sick, bond with a new baby, or help an aging parent, every Minnesotan should have time to care for themselves or a loved one. You can watch the committee here.  

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Anticipating more COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Minnesota, Governor Walz this week announced the strategy and next phases of vaccine distribution. Also announced was a plan to vaccinate 70% of all seniors by the end of March.

Minnesota COVID Vaccination Plan


The Vaccine Connector  is another tool to link Minnesotans with a vaccine. For now, there is more demand than supply, but every Minnesotan will have an opportunity to get vaccinated as more supply arrives in the weeks and months ahead. It will just take time, and the Vaccine Connector is another tool Minnesotans can use to be prepared.

Everyone can work to reduce the spread of COVID-19

  • Wear masks when in public. 10-50% of virus carriers are asymptomatic (are not experiencing any symptoms). Wearing masks helps control the virus and has been shown to lessen COVID-19 spread. 
  • Avoid enclosed spaces with groups of people, where the virus can linger in the air for long periods of time.
  • Get tested if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.
  • Stay six feet away from others.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or sleeve, or a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands afterwards.
  • Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes, nose, and mouth – with unwashed hands.
  • Up-to-date guidance is available from the Department of Health.

Stay connected with the legislature

The Minnesota House will continue to operate remotely, as we did throughout most of 2020. The House will ensure openness and transparency for the public by expanding the number of simultaneous committees it can webcast live from a maximum of two to five, so you can stay current on issues moving through committees this budget session. 

Also, the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here.  

Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time. You can also connect with me on Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent you at the State Capitol.

Sincerely,

Laurie Pryor

State Representative

CDC panel endorses emergency use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

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A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee has voted to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for people ages 18 and older in the United States.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to accept the committee’s recommendation later Sunday or Monday, allowing vaccinations to begin.

The 12-0 vote with one recusal from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices comes after the Food and Drug Administration officially cleared the country’s third coronavirus vaccine for emergency use on Saturday. Continue reading.

Many Black Americans aren’t rushing to get the COVID-19 vaccine – a long history of medical abuse suggests why

Black Americans have been the least inclined of any racial or ethnic group to say they’d get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The proportion of Black people who said they’ll probably or definitely take the shot has risen over time – but even by mid-January, with two COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., only 35% of Black survey respondents said they’d get it as soon as they could, or already had gotten the shot.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately harmed Black, Indigenous and other people of color in comparison to white members of American society. With Black Americans being hospitalized at rates 2.9 times higher than white Americans and dying from COVID-19 at rates 1.9 times higher, you might assume that Black people would be lining up at breakneck speed to receive the vaccine as soon as it’s available to them.

But the Black community has reasons for distrust – even beyond what might be attributed to the mixed messaging of the nation’s COVID-19 response. And it’s not a simple or sole matter of miseducation. I’m a medical humanist and bioethicist who studies history, ethics and literature to understand racial and gender health disparities. My research explores the history of unethical and abusive treatment Black Americans have experienced at the hands of the medical establishment. Based on past experience, Black people have many legitimate reasons to be in no hurry to get the vaccination. Continue reading.

US hits game-changing moment in COVID-19 fight

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The U.S. is on the cusp of a game-changing moment in the fight against COVID-19 after a one-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson passed a key regulatory hurdle on Wednesday, giving it a clear path to emergency-use authorization. 

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of a large clinical trial found the company’s vaccine completely prevented hospitalizations and death and was also mostly effective against preventing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19.

The vaccine may also provide better protection than expected against new variants of the virus. Continue reading.

Moderna says new version of vaccine is tailored to quell infection by South Africa variant

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NOTE: This article provided free of charge for all to read by The Washington Post.

Moderna said Wednesday that it has manufactured a new version of its coronavirus vaccine that is tailored to quell infection by the variant first identified in South Africa. A small amount of vaccine has been sent to the National Institutes of Health for a trial to determine whether boosting humans with the modified vaccine will stimulate a strong immune response, the company said.

The news came after the release of a Food and Drug Administration review finding the single-shot coronavirus vaccine made by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson safe and effective. The review sets the stage for a third coronavirus vaccine to be authorized in the United States as soon as this weekend. View the post.

FDA panel endorses Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine

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A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Friday endorsed Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine and recommended the agency grant emergency authorization, moving the nation’s third vaccine one step closer to getting into Americans’ arms.

The panel voted 22-0 that the benefits outweigh the risks for adults age 18 and older. 

FDA could give the green light to the single-dose vaccine as early as Saturday. Continue reading.

Drug executives: Big jump in vaccine supply is coming soon

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 vaccine makers told Congress on Tuesday to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month, and the companies insist they will be able to provide enough for most Americans to get inoculated by summer.

By the end of March, Pfizer and Moderna expect to have provided the U.S. government with a total of 220 million vaccine doses, up sharply from the roughly 75 million shipped so far.

“We do believe we’re on track,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said, outlining ways the company has ramped up production. “We think we’re at a very good spot.” Continue reading.

Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans

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As more vaccine arrives in Minnesota, the state is laying out a path to vaccinate all Minnesotans.

Governor Tim Walz announced today that Minnesota will vaccinate at least 70% of Minnesotans age 65 years and older before expanding eligibility to other groups, and aims to reach this goal by the end of March.

Once 70% of the state’s seniors have received the vaccine, Minnesota will expand eligibility based on underlying health conditions and workplace exposure risk. Minnesota will move forward with phases of vaccine eligibility based on science, medical evidence, and federal guidance:

Continue reading “Minnesota Lays Out Path to Vaccinate All Minnesotans”