On Monday, Senate Republicans released their “Seniors 1st” plan and urged Governor Walz to place seniors as the first priority in his updated vaccination plans. The Governor announced that 35,000 doses of the COVID vaccine would be sent to 100 additional sites across the state, allocated specifically for seniors. It was also announced the nine pilot sites throughout the state would be decreased to three under the Governor’s updated plan.  

  “To date, Minnesota’s vaccination strategy has been botched,” said Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake). “Governor Walz’s administration has continued to change the goal lines, and throughout those fluctuations, our seniors have been left behind. As the most vulnerable people to the virus, we must put them at the front of the line. As we move forward, this administration must do better to ensure that our seniors have flexible and accessible options to receive the vaccine that fit their living situation.”

 As of February 1, there have been over 6,000 COVID-19 deaths in Minnesota. Of those, 90% have been attributed to seniors 65 and older. The state has distributed more than 444,000 vaccines, yet only 25% have been allocated to Minnesotans 65 and older. The “Seniors 1st” plan proposed by Sen. Housley would move towards blanketing the entire states with vaccine sites through community pharmacies already equipped to store, schedule, and administer vaccinations.  

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Watch the press conference here.