St. Louis County Makes Sure COVID Priority 1A Individuals Get Their Vaccines

As the St. Louis County Public Health department moves through its third week of administering COVID-19 vaccines to people who are in the highest-priority group, it's reaching out to make sure that no one gets missed or overlooked.  This first round of COVID-19 vaccinations is available to those who are considered Priority 1A. Before the county rolls on to the next priority level, they want to make sure that everyone in that priority category who wanted or needed one has been administered the vaccine.

According to information released by St. Louis County, Phase 1A Priority 1 and 2 individuals include:

• EMS certified personnel
• Urgent Care facility staff
• Dialysis center staff
• Residents and staff of skilled nursing facilities
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
• Residents and staff of assisted living facilities
• The rankings are based on determinations made by the Minnesota Department of Health.

After making the COVID-19 vaccine available to those individuals who want or need it in that first and second priority, St. Louis County will move on to Phase 1A Priority 3 individuals.  Those individuals include:

• Adult foster care
• ambulatory clinic
• community residential setting
• correctional setting
• dental office
• emergency shelter
• funeral homes
• group homes
• home health care
• residential care facility

Other EMS personnel not already included in Priority 1 and school nurses also fall within this category.  Phase 1A Priority 3 vaccinations are for staff at organizations in these categories who are unable to telework.

It's worth noting that some of these organizations may have already had vaccination arrangements with a hospital or pharmacy.  The St. Louis County Public Health Department is one of three health systems administering the COVID-19 vaccination. Any employer whose staff would qualify for vaccines during the Priority 1A phase who has not already been contacted by the St. Louis County Pubic Health Department or one of the other three systems is encouraged to register online by clicking here.

For lack of a better term, this "last call" on Phase 1A vaccines is part of the counties process to make sure no one gets left behind.  Amy Westbrook - Division Director for St. Louis County Public Health offers:

"We are working through these priority groups as quickly as we can and want to ensure that no one is inadvertently overlooked.  We know a lot of people are interested in being vaccinated.  Unfortunately, we don't yet know how soon we will have sufficient vaccine supply to move to the 1B group or beyond, so we have not yet started a registration process or waiting list for anyone other than those in Priority 1A categories."

For more information about St. Louis County's COVID-19 vaccination program, click here.