More than half of Minnesota seniors are up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations for the first time in months, raising protection levels among those at greatest risk from the infectious disease.
The vaccination progress comes amid persistent growth in COVID, though it is no longer a public health emergency. COVID hospitalizations have doubled in two months, reaching 535 on Tuesday, but remain below Minnesota's single-day record of 1,864 in November 2020 — before vaccine was available.
"We're in a better place than a year or two ago, but COVID-19 is certainly still here," said Kathy Como-Sabetti, epidemiology manager for the Minnesota Department of Health's Emerging Infections Group.
Minnesotans 65 and older remain most vulnerable, accounting for 93% of 468 COVID deaths since Oct. 1 — and 83% of the state's 15,505 COVID deaths overall, according to Thursday's weekly state update.
Seniors remain interested in vaccine, but some wonder if the shots are necessary because COVID isn't causing as many severe illnesses, said Dr. Beth Averbeck, a geriatrician and the senior medical director for primary care for HealthPartners. Others waited for a two-for-one visit when they received their flu shots, or got discouraged early in the fall when supplies of the new COVID booster were erratic.
"Early on, we never knew what the supply was, when it was going to come," she said. "Right now, we have enough vaccine."
Coronavirus infections plummeted at the start of 2023, but have gradually increased since mid-summer, according to tracking by the University of Minnesota. Its results are based on viral levels measured each week in wastewater from 38 treatment plants.
Lab testing in Minnesota has found some signs of the JN.1 coronavirus variant that has been blamed for COVID growth across the country. State officials don't believe that variant is responsible for the rise of COVID this fall in Minnesota, though, and suspect it is more from seasonal, indoor gatherings that spread the virus along with low vaccine uptake.
