Mayo and OMC Launch COVID Vaccination Effort in Rochester

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Frontline health care personnel from the Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center lined up today to become the first people in the Rochester area to receive the new COVID vaccine.

The Mayo Clinic has received nearly 3000 doses, while OMC took in a shipment of nearly 1000 doses to begin vaccinating health care workers at high risk of exposure to the virus in the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort.

Mayo Clinic officials earlier said they were expecting another shipment with close to 5000 doses next week, but state health officials say they have been informed by the federal government that shipments of the Pfizer vaccines between now and the end of the year will be significantly smaller than anticipated. State Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann says, what was expected to be another 70,000 doses has been reduced by 40 percent.

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