The order seeks to safeguard vaccine availability in Minnesota and give health care providers more flexibility when it comes to administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order Monday to protect vaccine access in Minnesota, in response to the recent change in federal COVID-19 vaccine guidelines put in place by the Trump administration.
“Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in modern medicine,” said Walz in a statement.
“While the Trump Administration attempts to limit Americans’ access to preventative care, Minnesota will be guided by science and medical expertise, prioritizing the health and safety of our people.”
The executive order seeks to safeguard vaccine availability in Minnesota and give health care providers more flexibility when it comes to administering the COVID-19 booster shot. Under the helm of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the FDA issued limited approval of the new COVID vaccines last month to people 65 years or older, or people 6 months or older who have at least one high-risk health condition.
As directed by Walz, the Minnesota Department of Health and state epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield will review vaccine recommendations and could issue a “standing order,” meaning state-level guidance.
“The executive order is really supporting the good work we’ve been doing at the Minnesota Department of Health,” said Jessica Hancock-Allen, the director of the Infectious Diseases division at MDH. “We’re exploring whether that would be necessary, to expand the group of folks that are covered and could get the COVID vaccine.”
Following the FDA’s limited approval, a CDC panel will meet later this month to issue formal vaccine recommendations. Unlike other states, though, Minnesota isn’t bound by the CDC recommendations.
Representatives for Walgreens and CVS both told KARE 11 that the COVID vaccine remains available in Minnesota for eligible groups. However, it is currently not possible to make an appointment on either of those companies’ websites without being a senior or reporting an underlying health condition.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said the federal changes may create new barriers for people seeking vaccines, even if they are eligible.
“We are confused, and we are a little anxious about the changes, but one other way to think about this is, [there are] things that are not going to change,” Chin-Hong said. “And those 65 and older will get the vaccine regardless.”