Tag: COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine FAQ: Here’s everything you need to know

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COVID-19 vaccines offer hope for getting out of the pandemic. They also raise a lot of questions. Here are some answers.

Are they safe? What are the side effects?

Both vaccines authorized in the United States, from Pfizer and Moderna, have been found to be safe after intensive reviews by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts looked at safety data from about 30,000 people who participated in the clinical trials for each vaccine, and now millions more people have gotten the vaccines. Serious side effects have been extremely rare and have so far consisted of severe allergic reactions in a few people. The rate of severe allergic reactions is about 4.5 per 1 million shots administered, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. And allergic reactions can be treated. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 12, 2021

Governor Walz Orders Flags Flown at Half-Staff to Honor Victims of Buffalo Tragedy

On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz directed all flags at state and federal buildings in Minnesota to be flown at half-staff, effective immediately, until sunset on Sunday, February 14, 2021 in honor of the victims of the senseless tragedy that resulted in one lost life and four others injured at Allina Clinic Crossroads in Buffalo, Minnesota on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

“Minnesota flags will fly at half-staff through Sunday to honor the loss of Medical Assistant Lindsay Overbay and those who were injured and the at Allina Clinic in Buffalo,” said Governor Walz. “As we grieve this senseless tragedy, let us also honor their work to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy.”

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 12, 2021”

Biden harnesses Defense Production Act to speed vaccinations and production of protective equipment

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The administration also said it would deploy 1,110 military personnel to support mass-vaccination centers

The Biden administration announced a handful of initiatives Friday aimed at accelerating mass inoculations against the coronavirus and expanding production of rapid tests and surgical gloves to help control the pathogen.

In the most immediate action, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deploy 1,110 troops to support vaccination sites. The first active-duty military personnel will arrive in California within the next 10 days, to begin operations around Feb. 15, said Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House’s coronavirus response team. The service members, the majority of whom will be medical personnel, are expected to be stationed at five FEMA megasites, two of which are in Oakland and east Los Angeles.

“The military’s critical role in supporting sites will help vaccinate thousands of people per day and ensure every American who wants a vaccine will receive one,” Slavitt said during a Friday briefing. Continue reading.

Your questions about Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, answered

If you’re confused by Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, you’re not alone. 

The plan has changed several times since Minnesota started administering vaccines in December, and more updates are on the horizon as the state nears completion of its first vaccine priority group.

Here’s the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines in Minnesota. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 5, 2021

Minnesota Ramps Up COVID-19 Vaccinations; Doubles Number of Shots Administered Per Day Compared to Last Week

On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced that the State of Minnesota has ramped up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and is now administering two times the number of shots given per day on average compared to just last week. The increase in vaccination rate follows Governor Tim Walz’ directives given last Monday designed to accelerate the availability of vaccine across the state. 

To date, More than 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota.

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 5, 2021”

Dangerous Anti-Vaccination Protest Promoted By QAnon

On January 30, the Los Angeles Times reported that “members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups” caused a COVID-19 mass vaccination site in LA’s Dodger Stadium to temporarily shut down. Although the disruption “ultimately did little to inhibit vaccine distribution” and there was no violence reported, media should more proactively describe these actions as not mere “protests,” but as expressions of a dangerous and increasingly interconnected world of conspiracy theories.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the group didn’t prevent anyone from making their appointment, though some people had to wait for an extra hour. Los Angeles County has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with an estimated 1 in 3 Angelenos contracting COVID-19 at some point.

The Los Angeles Times referred to “far-right groups” present at the vaccination site shutdown, but it didn’t elaborate that some of those involved were reportedly supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory. QAnon has grown from an initial lie that Hillary Clinton’s arrest was imminent (over Pizzagate, a different conspiracy theory) to an all-encompassing pro-Trump conspiracy theory that’s been linked to or helped inspire multiple violent crimes, including the deadly January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. CNN Business reporter Donie O’Sullivan explained that there is “an overlap between QAnon, between election conspiracy theories, and between vaccine misinformation.” Continue reading.

Minnesota cuts vaccine sites, adds doses for seniors

More doses to be diverted to those 65 and older via medical providers. 

Mass state COVID-19 vaccination sites will be reduced in Minnesota this week as more vaccine is steered to local medical providers who can reach out to more of their patients.

Gov. Tim Walz on Monday said 35,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be earmarked for senior citizens in Minnesota this week — the highest total so far — at more than 100 locations. That will include two permanent mass vaccination sites in Minneapolis and Duluth rather than the nine pilot sites spread across the state in each of the last two weeks.

The governor’s announcement called the strategy an “all-of-the-above approach” that gives vulnerable senior citizens access to vaccine through their local doctors but maintains some broader community events as well. Continue reading.

J&J says its one-shot vaccine is 66% effective against moderate to severe COVID

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Johnson & Johnson announced Friday that its single-shot coronavirus vaccine was 66% effective in protecting against moderate to severe COVID-19 disease in Phase 3 trials, which was comprised of nearly 44,000 participants across eight countries.

Between the lines: The vaccine was 72% effective in the U.S., but only 57% effective in South Africa, where a more contagious variant has been spreading. It prevented 85% of severe infections and 100% of hospitalizations and deaths, according to the company.

The big picture: The vaccine is not as effective as some of its two-dose competitors, but still provides strong protection against the most serious COVID-19 symptoms.  Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: January 29, 2021

Governor Walz Announces Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget

COVID-19 recovery budget graphic


On Tuesday,  Governor Walz announced Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget – his budget proposal for the next biennium. As Minnesota continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Walz’s budget supports working families, ensures students catch up on learning, and helps small businesses stay afloat while driving economic recovery.

Governor Walz Takes Action to Jump-Start Vaccine Rollout

On Monday, Governor Walz accelerated plans to make COVID-19 vaccines more broadly available across Minnesota. The actions included a new 72-hour goal for vaccine providers to administer 90 percent of their vaccine doses within three days of receiving them, and all doses within one week. 

Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: January 29, 2021”

Walz: Minnesota progressing toward 3 million vaccinated target

Walz visits care center, acknowledges vaccine rollout was sluggish. 

Gov. Tim Walz said the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine has been frustrating at times, but that Minnesota has made progress in immunizing the most vulnerable of the 3 million or so people in the state who need to receive shots.

The governor on Friday visited a New Hope nursing home — where in-person indoor visits are allowed again and workers and residents have received shots — to demonstrate that Minnesota is on a return to normalcy. The state on Friday reported that all nursing home residents in Minnesota have been offered vaccinations and 80% received at least first doses.

“This is a true vision of what the end of the tunnel looks like,” said Walz, standing in a lobby to the Good Samaritan Society-Ambassador facility that would have been off limits a few days ago. Continue reading.