One in three are now fully vaccinated in Olmsted County
More than a third of Olmsted County residents — including 43 percent of those 16 and older — have completed the vaccine series, according to the latest figures from the Minnesota Department of Health.
The county is now averaging about 9,000 shots per week, health officials report, bringing the total number of residents (this writer included) who have received at least one dose to 71,016, or 46 percent of the population.
Olmsted County Public Health Director Graham Briggs said this week that if vaccine shipments remain at their current pace, the county expects to be able to offer every eligible resident a vaccine in the coming weeks.
“At the rate we are going at, we should be able to offer at least a dose of vaccine to all residents by that second week of May,” said Briggs.
Currently, Olmsted County Public Health is working to finish setting up appointments for businesses that signed up through the county portal, while the county’s two main health systems — Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center — continue to prioritize vulnerable populations.
As of April 5, more than 80 percent of county residents 65+ have completed the series, with about 89 percent having received at least one dose.
Numbers for younger age groups have also started to climb in the wake of Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to open eligibility to every Minnesota resident 16 and over. State figures show that nearly 32,000 Olmsted County residents ages 16-49 have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Courtesy Olmsted County Public Health
Speaking to the Olmsted County Board, Briggs noted that while some parts of the state are experiencing a turn back up in cases after a lull in infection rates, the numbers locally appear to have plateaued.
The county is recording about 20 new cases per day, with a positivity rate just south of 7 percent. Daily hospitalizations are at five.
Still, Briggs said his department continues to monitor variables that could affect the progress being made — including a disruption to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the spread of the highly-contagious B.1.1.7 variant.
“There is a little bit of concern,” Briggs told the board. “Sometimes you see a plateau before you can see a rise in case rates. So, it’s something we are watching very closely.”
Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.
Cover graphic via the MN Department of Health
