Earlier today, Gov. Tim Walz and Republican and Democrat leaders of the Minnesota Legislature announced the state’s plan for distributing COVID-19 vaccinations. The first shipment of vaccines is expected the week of December 14, while the first recipient could be vaccinated the week of December 21. Like all vaccines, it will be strictly voluntary — it will not be required or mandated.

“For everyone to come together to develop a safe, reliable vaccine for a brand new virus in such a compressed time frame is nothing short of amazing,” said Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester). “Operation Warp Speed and the development of the COVID-19 vaccine will be one of America’s most incredible success stories. I am so proud of and thankful for the brilliant and relentless scientists, doctors, immunologists, virologists, epidemiologists, and all who got us to this point. 

“As political leaders, we must continue this ‘all hands on deck’ spirit and work together to help heal our land, its people, and our economy,” Sen. Nelson concluded.

Vaccines will be administered in two doses, with the second dose coming either 21 or 28 days after the first, depending on which vaccine a patient receives.

Vaccine distribution will be done in a “phased approach,” with recipients broken down into a series of groups and subgroups. The highest priority category of recipients, Group 1, will be broken down into the following subgroups:

• 1A: health care professionals and long-term care residents
• 1B: essential workers in education, food and agriculture, utilities, police and first responders, corrections officers, and transportation workers
• 1C: high-risk adults, such as those with medical conditions, and adults over age 65.