COVID-19 briefing: MDH’s new vaccine data dashboard

On Tuesday, Minnesota health officials took part in a COVID-19 briefing to address the current status of the pandemic.

Joining the call, Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, Director of MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division Kris Ehresmann, and the state’s Chief Information Officer and MNIT Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, discussed the new vaccine data dashboard and the communication between the federal and local levels.

MDH launched a new COVID-19 vaccine data dashboard to detail vaccine allocation, distribution and administration across the state.

The dashboard — which is updated daily — includes information on doses allocated to Minnesota by the federal government, as well as the number of doses shipped to providers and administered to Minnesotans.

Minnesota unveils new COVID-19 vaccine dashboard

"So many of our hopes are tied to Minnesota’s ability to administer COVID-19 vaccines," Malcolm said.

The vaccine data will be updated daily at 11 a.m.

Ehresmann reminded Minnesotans that allocated doses take time to ship and be administered. That’s why the number of doses administered is always much lower than the number of vaccine doses shipped and allocated.

Minnesota continues to vaccinate those in the second tier of Phase 1A, and Ehresmann said MDH hopes to have everyone in Phase 1A will have received at least their first vaccine dose by the end of the month. She reiterated that it’s important to take a patient approach with vaccinations and the federal government, as they ultimately decide how many vaccines are being distributed nationwide.

"If our vaccine supply increases in the near term, we’re ready for it," Ehresmann said. "If the feds actually follow through on their promise, then [MDH] is ready."

Other important items to note from the call:

• Despite the state focusing on Phase 1A, Ehresmann said MDH is continuing to plan on how to vaccinate more widely when more doses are available. Additional clinic sites are likely when it’s opened up more, which would in return indicate more vaccinations can be done. However, Ehresmann said that time is unknown as of Tuesday.
• With new guidance being implemented for MDH on their vaccine distribution, a delay in learning what the next phases will look like is probable. Ehresmann added without additional vaccines, opening up to more groups of people could add more frustration to the process because more expectations "can’t all be met at once."