Community vaccination site launches at TCO Performance Center in Eagan this week
This file photo shows the Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) Performance Center in Eagan.[KSTP-TV]
On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state is partnering with the Minnesota Vikings on a new community vaccination event to launch this week at Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) Performance Center in Eagan.
Starting Friday, approximately 13,400 Johnson & Johnson doses will be administered at TCO Performance Center to health care workers and those 65 and older beginning this week as a part of the State of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program.
"This partnership with the Minnesota Vikings helps us move the ball down the field in the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic," Walz said in a statement. "This one-and-done vaccine is safe, highly effective, and helps us more quickly provide immunity to Minnesotans, including to our courageous health care providers and our older neighbors."
On Feb. 27, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. FDA authorization comes after rigorous scientific and medical review.
“The TCO Performance Center event is another example of a growing vaccine network in Minnesota,” Walz said. “With more than 1.4 million doses administered to nearly 930,000 Minnesotans, broad community vaccination is in sight and a return to normalcy is within reach. We are looking forward to being in the stands for high school football under the Friday night lights, the Gophers dominating on Saturdays, and the Vikings winning on Sundays this fall. When vaccine supply from the federal meets demand, partnerships like this with the Vikings will help push us over the goal line in the battle against COVID-19.”
The Eagan vaccination event joins five other community vaccination sites in Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington and St. Paul. The event follows the February milestone of more than one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Minnesota.
“We are proud to partner with the State of Minnesota to utilize Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center as a temporary COVID-19 vaccine site,” Vikings Chief Operating Officer Andrew Miller said in a statement. “The opportunity to play a role in combatting this virus continues to be a priority for the entire Vikings organization. We believe it’s important for all Minnesotans to get vaccinated, and we encourage everyone to sign up for the state’s Vaccine Connector in order to receive updates on vaccination eligibility and opportunities.”
"This effort to vaccinate our frontline staff and those 65 and over is crucial and we’re excited to have this state vaccination event here in Eagan," Dakota County Public Health Director Bonnie Brueshoff added in a statement.
As of March 3, more than 1.41 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in Minnesota and so far, 484,383 people have completed the two-shot vaccine series, according to MDH data. More than 54% of Minnesotans 65 and older have received at least one dose. Additionally, Minnesota ranks third nationally for the percentage of doses delivered being administered.