Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Wednesday the state is on course to exceed a goal set by President Joe Biden to soon open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults.
"We are very confident that everybody in Minnesota that wants the vaccine will be eligible by May 1, and even before that time," Malcolm said. "Now that doesn't mean that everybody's going to be vaccinated by May 1. But they'll be eligible and they'll be in line to get it."
The comment came during a public briefing led by U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Dean Phillips Wednesday night that focused on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Malcolm and two other health experts answered questions in an effort to encourage more Minnesotans to get vaccinated.
As of Monday, 15.5% of Minnesota's population was fully vaccinated, according to state health data and a Star Tribune analysis. Three vaccines are being used in Minnesota.
As the vaccines become more widely available, elected officials and public health experts are likely to face the challenge of persuading those with reservations about the vaccine to get their shots.
Malcolm pledged, "We will continue to make a priority to make sure that we are reaching out to, and finding, those people who are at greatest risk to get them to the front of the line, if you will."
The governor's office announced in a news release this week that Minnesota "has administered 88.55% of vaccine doses it has received," which put it first in the nation by that mark. But that came after Minnesota struggled by that same measure and was among the worst in the country as it tried to get shots in arms earlier in the vaccine rollout.
Not all Minnesotans are yet eligible to get the vaccine, but a state health department spokesman said in an e-mail that health officials "expect the governor to be making an announcement about further eligibility in the next week or so." Those eligible at the moment include the state's essential front-line workers and people 65 and older.
