Last Wednesday, the Wright County Public Health (WCPH) vaccination teams received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In the next few weeks, public health nurses and other support staff will be hard at work vaccinating the first priority groups.

“We’re so excited that scientific advancements have brought us this vaccine,” said Alison Dudek, COVID-19 Vaccine Advisor. “This is the key to ending the pandemic.”

The first, limited doses of COVID-19 are going to health care workers and long-term care residents. These people do not have the option of remaining home and separating themselves from others. 

The next available doses will be prioritized based on the phases below. This phased approach was recommended by federal and state medical experts.

Following the health care workers and long-term care residents, frontline essential workers and adults aged 75 and older will receive the vaccine. Next, adult aged 65-74 along with high-risk medical condition people in ages ranging from 16-64 years old will be able to get vaccinated. Other essential workers not vaccinated in one of the earlier periods will have a chance for the vaccine at this time too.

The final vaccination will be to the general population.

The WCPH does not know the timeline of when each priority group (above) will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota. This will depend on how much vaccine the manufacturers are able to make and send, and how many people get vaccinated in the first priority groups.

Updates will be provided when WCPH is able to start vaccinating more people and they will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated.