MDH Issues Vaccine Prioritization Guidance

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Kari Everson

First Phase to Include Healthcare Personnel and LTC Residents

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued two documents on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 discussing several topics regarding vaccines.  Recommendations for initial Phase 1a vaccination include healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities.

When determining vaccine allocation and how this looks in Minnesota, the vaccine workgroups used several key principles for recommendations which include maximizing vaccine benefits, minimizing harm by reducing the mortality and serious morbidity rates, promoting juice, mitigating health inequities, and promoting transparencies. In the earliest weeks of vaccine distribution there will not be enough vaccine to meet demand for the groups identified in Phase 1a; therefore, there are three identified sub-prioritizations in this group.  Sub-prioritization is based on risk of infection, risk of severe illness, risk of transmission, and the risk of negative societal impact. 

Phase 1a Three Priority Levels

Phase 1a First Priority vaccines are scheduled for delivery to hospital workers that work in dedicated COVID-19 units, emergency departments, and other high risk areas, nursing home residents and staff, emergency medical service personnel, COVID-19 testers, and COVID community vaccinators.  Phase 1a Second Priority includes vaccine distribution for other direct patient care staff in hospitals, assisted living (housing with services with an arranged home care provider) residents, assisted living staff, urgent care, and dialysis centers.  Phase 1a Third Priority includes all remaining healthcare workers not included in the first and second priority groups, residents in ICFs, residential care facilities licensed in Minnesota, adult foster care, corrections, group homes, dental offices, etc.

Two vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, are in the emergency use authorization process (EUA).  Pfizer’s vaccine is scheduled to be distributed to hospitals and Moderna will be distributed to long-term care communities.  The reason for the division based-upon vaccine type is related to the storage and transportation requirements for each of the vaccines.  Pfizer requires ultra-cold storage and is more difficult to transport and manage where Moderna does not.

What We Know Today

Vaccine clinics are likely to start at the end of December.  The earliest date Pfizer vaccine clinics may start is Dec. 21, 2020 and the Moderna early vaccination clinic dates may be as early as Dec. 28, 2020.  MDH estimates 90,000 doses of Moderna vaccine will be delivered in Minnesota in December with further shipments to come in January 2021.  LeadingAge Minnesota continues to have frequent discussions with MDH on vaccines as this situation continues to develop and will bring members updates as they come available. 

Please see the Minnesota Department of Health COVID Vaccine Web page and Minnesota Guidance for Allocating and Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccine. If you have questions, please contact Kari Everson – keverson@leadingagemn.org