Minnesota health officials urge patience for vaccine booster shots

Officials say unvaccinated people should seek their shots as soon as possible.

August 18, 2021 at 9:14PM
Amal Elmoge, 12, received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Asha Hassan during a community vaccination event at the Chase House Apartments in Minneapolis in July. (Antranik Tavitian, Star Tribune file/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Minnesota Department of Health urged unvaccinated people to seek their COVID-19 vaccine shots as soon as possible, and vaccinated people to wait their turn as boosters are recommended to extend their protection against the coronavirus.

A person who received a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine on Feb. 1 would be eligible under the interim federal guidance for a booster on or after Oct. 1. Official guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices could further designate the priority in Minnesota for boosters and clarify whether the state's 274,000 recipients of Johnson & Johnson vaccine should seek boosters as well.

"There is plenty of vaccine available," the Health Department's statement said. "We stand ready to work with the federal government and our partners across the state to ensure that Minnesotans have equitable access to booster doses to provide the best protection against COVID-19."

about the writer

about the writer

Jeremy Olson

Reporter

Jeremy Olson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering health care for the Star Tribune. Trained in investigative and computer-assisted reporting, Olson has covered politics, social services, and family issues.

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