Roughly 500 first responders to be vaccinated in south metro in coming weeks
In this Monday, July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y.[AP Photo/Hans Pennink]
Medical first responders in Bloomington, Edina and Richfield are set to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in the weeks ahead, the city of Edina said in a news release.
About 500 certified medical responders, EMTs and paramedics will get the Moderna vaccine through Bloomington Public Health and are prioritized in the first stage of Minnesota’s vaccine rollout plan. Those who work at the Bloomington COVID-19 testing clinic are eligible to receive the shot as well.
“Our firefighter/paramedics and law enforcement officers have been exceptionally vigilant to protect the public and themselves from COVID-19 for more than 10 months,” Edina City Manager Scott Neal said in a statement. “Vaccination is the next legal step in that vigilance."
The Moderna vaccine, which gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use last month, requires two doses to be fully effective. All of the first responders receiving the vaccine will have follow-up appointments for a second shot.
According to Minnesota Department of Health data, 297,350 doses of coronavirus vaccine have been distributed to provider sites so far, while 80,857 have been administered.