Minnesota nears 2 million mark for COVID-19 vaccine shots

Nearly 2 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered in Minnesota against an infectious disease that has been found in 499,962 people in the state and caused 6,756 deaths.

Wednesday's increase means that 23% of Minnesotans have received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including 76% of senior citizens who have suffered 89% of the state's deaths in the pandemic.

Of the 1,284,612 people 16 and older who have who have received vaccine, 746,829 have completed the series either by receiving two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna versions or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson version.

State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann urged people to schedule and receive timely second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which are supposed to be given four and three weeks, respectively, after the first doses.

"As more people become eligible, we know it may be harder for some to complete the vaccination series," she said.

Vaccine is prioritized right now in Minnesota for health care workers, educators, senior citizens, long-term care residents and non-elderly adults with certain underlying health conditions or front-line occupations that present high risks for viral exposure. Those groups account for an estimated 3.5 million Minnesotans and the majority of the state's adult population.

Long-term care residents were among the first to be prioritized, because nursing homes and other facilities were hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic waves. More than 80% of Minnesota's COVID-19 deaths were among long-term care facility residents last spring, but that rate has dropped to 63%.

They also don't need to quarantine after casual outings unless they spend 15 minutes or more over 24 hours within 6 feet of someone at risk for spreading the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The state on Wednesday reported another seven COVID-19 deaths in Minneota and 1,046 diagnosed infections. Health officials continued to closely watch an outbreak that centered on youth sports activities in Carver County, because it involved a more infectious variant of the coronavirus that prompted new COVID-19 waves when it emerged in Europe.

Health officials urged regular COVID-19 testing of K-12 students and athletes — though their personal risks of severe COVID-19 are low — in order to slow viral transmission across the state and buy time to vaccinate others at greater risk.

A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week showed that more than 90% of Minnesotans vaccinated between mid-December and mid-February had received their second doses.

Among those recipients, 95% received second doses on schedule while 2.5% received them late but within a federally recommended time interval. Minnesota had almost no instances of severely late second doses provided more than 42 days after their first doses.