Walz to announce expansion of vaccination eligibility for all Minnesotans 16 and older Friday

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are expected to announce Friday that all Minnesotans 16 years of age and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations beginning March 30.

Walz’s spokesperson Teddy Tschann released the following statement:

“Tomorrow, Governor Walz will announce that all Minnesotans 16 years of age and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination beginning Tuesday, March 30. The final eligibility expansion comes as the federal government has promised an increased supply of vaccine by April, and as Minnesota has become a national leader in getting shots into arms quickly. This week Minnesota was ranked number one in the country for the percentage of vaccine doses administered to Minnesotans. The state has vaccinated 80% of our seniors, outperforming the nation, and has also vaccinated at least two-thirds of our school and child care personnel.”

“Continuing to honor a commitment to immunizing for impact, the Walz-Flanagan Administration will be directing providers to prioritize vaccine appointments for older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions, and those in frontline jobs. Providers will then have the flexibility to provide available appointments to other eligible Minnesotans.”

“We worked hard to vaccinate Minnesotans sooner than we originally projected, and we have made tremendous progress getting vaccines to Minnesotans who need them most. Now, it’s time to get as many Minnesotans vaccinated as quickly as possible to end this pandemic.”

Walz will address the announcement on Friday at 11:30 a.m.