The urgency to vaccinate the United States’ population has never been greater. Monday, February 22 was a tragic day in which the national death toll of COVID-19 surpassed half a million. Over 500,000 human beings have lost their battle with the coronavirus. They were neighbors, grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, children, and friends. Saying goodbye to even more loved ones seems unbearable. To end further infections and deaths, vaccines are crucial.

As of February 24, approximately 658 Minnesotan providers were receiving Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines. Among them are Cottage Grove’s very own, Walmart and Hy-Vee. Pharmacies such as these now equate for roughly 37.7% of COVID-19 vaccine suppliers in Minnesota. The amount of nearby providers are increasing every week and the state government has organized methods to bring shots to its people. Therefore, more and more locals are gaining protection from the coronavirus. In Washington County alone, over 34,000 have received their first dose and over 16,000 residents have finished the dose series. The State of Minnesota last updated this data on February 23.

The production status of COVID-19 vaccines is recorded at the state level, “There continues to be a very limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota. Despite a modest recent increase in vaccine supply from the federal government, Minnesota still does not have enough to meet demand.”

Because of this truth, Washington County, MN is closely obeying the three phases of vaccine distribution outlined by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Currently, the Cottage Grove region remains in Phase 1a. This period indicates that healthcare personnel as well as members and employees of long-term care facilities should be vaccinated first. Yvonne Klinnert is the Public Information Manager in the county’s Office of Administration. She explained to The Journal in early January, “The goal for the first doses of vaccine, Phase 1a, is to protect those who are exposed to COVID-19 every day because of what they do, who they care for, or where they live.”

As the supply of COVID-19 vaccines multiply, people under the first priority group are being alerted. Vaccination partners, the state’s community vaccination sites, employers, and local public health agencies will reveal to healthcare workers when a vaccine is prepared for them. Meanwhile, long term care businesses are notifying their residents and employers as vaccination becomes a possibility for them.

For several weeks, Washington County has idled in Phase 1a. This is due to the fact that the amount of people in Phase 1a is larger than the amount of vaccine doses in the county.

Although Washington County is following an intentional procedure to vaccinate its population, some people sorted into Phases 1b and 1c are eligible statewide. Minnesotans exceeding the age of 64, educators, school staff members, and child care employees are permitted to receive their shot at this time.

Educators, school staff, and child care employees are not needing to self-advocate for their vaccine. According to the State of Minnesota, they will have guidance, “Educators, school staff, and child care workers will hear from their local public health agency, employer, state-sponsored community vaccination site, or state vaccination partner about when and where they can get vaccinated.”

It is through the Community Vaccination Program and the “Find Vaccine Locations” tool that the state is linking citizens aged 65 years and older to their doses.

The Community Vaccination Program launched at the end of January. It was established to match adults aged 65 years or older, primary school staff, secondary school staff, and child care workers with their COVID-19 vaccine. Now, the program focuses on protecting adults aged 65 years or older.

On January 26 at 5am, these adults had 24 hours to pre-register for the program. By pre-registering, they secured a chance at being randomly selected to book an appointment. A few selections have been executed within the previous weeks. More selections are bound to occur within the pool of properly pre-registered people who weren’t notified yet. When nominated, one may schedule a time slot at a community vaccination location in Minneapolis, Duluth, or Rochester. Beginning January 28, some Minnesotans gained their first doses through the Community Vaccination Program. They can expect a second dose from the same clinic they obtained their first dose from.

At this time, the program is not welcoming extra pre-registrations. However, Minnesotans who are aged 65 years and older can search for their vaccine through the “Find Vaccine Locations” map.

The “Find Vaccine Locations” map is a tool that illustrates where the state’s COVID-19 vaccine providers are situated. Alongside this visual, Minnesota’s government disclaims, “There is still a limited amount of vaccine, so appointments may not be available everywhere.”

All providers pinpointed on that map are matching vaccines with Minnesotans by appointment alone. Each will adhere to their own agendas, injecting the priority groups of their choosing. Phrased in a different way, all suppliers within Minnesota’s borders vary in their operations. “Please contact providers to confirm vaccination location and hours, that they have vaccine doses and appointments available, and that you are eligible for vaccination at that site,” the state advises.

Next to the “Find Vaccine Locations” map, the state has enabled the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. This tool was pieced together to educate participants aged 18 years or older on when, where, and how they can access a vaccine. Whether an unvaccinated Minnesotan falls under a current or future priority group, they may respond to this questionnaire. Once they submit their form, the Vaccine Connector will alert them when their dose is prepared. By typing, “https://vaccineconnector. mn.gov” into any search engine, one can open the Vaccine Connector for themselves.

Due to the fact that Washington County cannot immediately benefit everybody with immunization, many Cottage Grove residents carry on, vulnerable to the coronavirus. However, their opportunity to be vaccinated will arrive eventually. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 16, President Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines would be accessible to every United States citizen at one point this summer. “…By the end of July, we’ll have over 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every single American,” Biden claimed.

To clarify, these 600 million doses will appear gradually. Biden spelled out, “In other words it’s not all of a sudden 600 million doses are going to appear, and what’s going to happen is it’s going to continue to increase as we move along and we’ll have reached 400 million by the end of May and 600 million by the end of July…” As they wait for one of these hundreds of millions of vaccines to belong to them, Cottage Grove residents should occupy their time wearing a mask, keeping six feet away from others, washing their hands constantly, and staying home when they feel ill.