We understand that there is concern and confusion about the arrival and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota. While manufacturers are rapidly developing and producing these vaccines, they have to follow the protocols, clinical trials, and procedures that follow the safety and efficacy of any vaccine that is licensed and approved for use. Below, we provide you with a series of relevant and available information about the coronavirus vaccine in Minnesota.
When will vaccines be available in Minnesota?
Several COVID-19 vaccines are in development right now. They are going through different studies and clinical trials to make sure they are safe, and that they work, before they are given to the public.
We are anticipating that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will approve two COVID-19 vaccines for use in the country in December. The COVID-19 vaccination campaign will begin before the end of the year 2020, said the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
The FDA issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease In individuals 16 years of age and older on December 11th 2020. The emergency use authorization allows the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the United States. The FDA authorized its emergency use but didn’t formally approve it.
According to the MDH’s website, a vaccine for COVID-19 is only one of the ways to stop the spread of the disease in Minnesota. Because the supply of vaccine will be limited at first, doing other things to help stop the spread will be just as important as it is now. This means you should:
- Wear a facemask.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Wash your hands a lot with water and soup.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Get tested when sick.
Who will get the vaccine first?
Once one or more vaccines are approved, it will still take time before everyone can get it. Hundreds of millions of people need to be vaccinated in the United States alone, so it will be a long process to make, distribute, and give that many doses of vaccine.
This is the priority Group 1 to be vaccinated in Minnesota: health care workers, people working in health care settings who could get COVID-19 at work and long-term care residents.
Other groups that may get some of the early doses are first responders, essential workers, adults with high-risk medical conditions, and older adults.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) brought together a COVID-19 vaccine allocation advisory group to help them make sure they are fairly and strategically making decisions for how the vaccine should be distributed. The advisory group is made up of external partners who represent key populations in the state, such as local public health, long-term care, pharmacy partners, diverse communities, and more.
How will we know the vaccine is safe?
Having a safe and effective vaccine as soon as possible is the top priority for everyone. Approving vaccines as safe, and making sure they work, is up to several scientific groups at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other groups look at available information about a vaccine and make informed decisions about the risks and benefits of using it.
What has to happen before a COVID-19 vaccine is approved? Is it different from other vaccines?
The requirements for COVID-19 vaccine are the same as all other vaccines. The companies making the vaccines have to share information with specific agencies like the FDA and the CDC that shows how the vaccine studies and clinical trials were designed, what their process was, how they got their data, and what the results were.
There is a lot of interest and urgency to get a COVID-19 vaccine out. However, health officials, the FDA, vaccine manufacturers, and others have committed to only put out vaccines that are shown to be safe. The FDA has given guidance to vaccine manufacturers about what information is needed to prove that a vaccine is safe and that the vaccine works.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine being studied in children or pregnant people?
The first vaccine studies are usually done with groups that are at highest risk for the disease, or who will get very sick if they get the disease. Then the studies are expanded to other groups such as pregnant people and people who are immunocompromised (cannot easily fight off a disease). For the COVID-19 vaccine, studies focused on non-pregnant adults ages 18 years and older at first. Vaccine manufacturers have likely started expanding to pregnant people and some children as they get more data from the first part of their studies.
The first COVID-19 vaccines will not be able to be given to children.
Are people from diverse or underserved communities included in COVID-19 vaccine studies?
Yes. The COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials include people from diverse communities. It is important for these studies to have more people from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. This way they have enough information to be confident that the vaccine is safe and works for these groups. It’s especially important that COVID-19 vaccine trials include people from diverse communities, because these communities have been severely impacted by the disease and could greatly benefit from getting vaccinated.
Why do we need a COVID-19 vaccine?
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 will be one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone in your community. More people vaccinated means that there will be less disease in our communities. By stopping the spread of COVID-19, we can keep businesses, schools, and other venues open. Stopping the spread of COVID-19 gets us closer to the end of the pandemic.
Will the COVID-19 vaccine be required?
No. When an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is used to make a vaccine it cannot be required.
How much will the COVID-19 vaccine cost?
According to the MDH’s website, the COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to people at no cost.
How many doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be needed?
Two doses will be needed for at least the first two COVID-19 vaccines. The doses will need to be given 3 or 4 weeks apart, depending on the product being used.
As time goes on, experts will also have to evaluate whether future doses would be needed, like needing to get a tetanus shot every 10 years or getting a flu shot every year.
What can I do now?
Continue to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Follow these safe practices:
- Wear a facemask.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Wash your hands a lot with water and soup.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Get tested when sick.
Doing all of these things will help keep people healthy until a vaccine is widely available. You can also get a flu vaccine. While the flu vaccine does not protect against COVID-19, it can save lives and prevent more illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to do everything we can in order to stay healthy and not overwhelm our health care system. To find where you can get a flu vaccine, visit VaccineFinder.
Sources:
www.health.state.mn.us
www.cdc.gov
