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PPE update:

!Good News! Some allocations are being either lifted or increased, allowing WH to change ordering habits.

Situation update can be found here, cumulative case rate by county of residence include: ()from 1/7)

948 positive cases in Kanabec County

2564 positive cases in Pine County

COVID-19 Vaccine –

Questions about the vaccine?  Please contact Dr. Niskanen, Dr. Allen, Brent Thompson, PharmD, or the c19vacc_questions@welia.org

Scheduling:  To be placed on a waiting list for the vaccine please email Mariah Hoyles, mhoyles@welia.org.  As you have heard, our current vaccine requires ultracold storage and use within 6 hours of opening the vial.  To ensure we do not waste any doses, future clinics will be scheduled once there is enough people to ensure the use of the vaccine.

If you are willing, send pictures (selfies/with your co-workers/posing with the nurse/pharmacist giving you the shot) to marketing (ktepley@welia.org).  These pictures tell a GREAT story to help promote the C-19 shot to our patient population.

Q/A the pharmacy department has received about the vaccine: 

Q: How did the COVID vaccine get developed so quickly?

A:  Operation Warp Speed (OWS) is a partnership among different agencies in the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• These include:
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
  • The Department of Defense
• The goal of OWS is to produce and deliver over 300 million doses and safe and effective vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021
• They are working to accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine while maintaining standards for safety and efficacy
  • They have prioritized and sped up the development of the most promising vaccines, based on scientific data
• Rather than “cutting corners” or eliminating steps in a traditional vaccine development timeline, they are developing protocols and allowing some steps in the process to happen simultaneously
• This increases the financial risk to the agencies involved, but does not increase the risk of the product (safety)
  • The government has made investments in the manufacturing of these vaccines to give companies confidence to invest aggressively in this effort without fear of financial repercussions
  • This allows for the faster development of an eventual vaccine

Q:  When did we discover mRNA vaccines?

A:  This type of vaccine technology has been studied for decades

• They have been studied for viruses including influenza, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus
• Future mRNA vaccines could allow one vaccine to provide your body with protection against multiple diseases

Q:  What are the benefits of mRNA vaccines?

A:  They can be developed more quickly and easily

• The process of making the vaccine can be standardized and scaled up at a faster pace, making development much faster than traditional vaccines
• They teach your body how to fight off the virus that causes COVID-19, without ever exposing you to the virus itself

Negative air flow rooms are being completed, with 4 rooms done by early next week.

Reopening plan for the Wellness Center – Mora walking track is being developed.  Reopen dates have not been determined yet and masks will be required, even while exercising (in accordance with the state mandate)

Visitor restrictions.  Two significant changes will include:

1 person (visitor) will be allowed at OB appointments

1 person (visitor) per child at well-child checks.

Unfortunately, the funding for transporting positive C19 patients has ended.  We will continue to work with statewide resources to improve the availability.

The wellness center will be opening today at 4pm and will resume to its regular business hours:  5am – 10pm | Daily

Documents from the school and Welia Health are attached

• Few points to remember:
• Sanitize upon entering the building and again when you leave, sanitizing stations are available
• Masks must be worn at all times (even when walking)
• Social distancing is required
• Limit of 10 people on the walking track at any one time

From MDH

Bloomington C-19 testing site is relocating (see attachment)

Vaccine planning update

As the COVID-19 vaccine is distributed and administered within hospitals and health systems in conjunction with Phase 1a guidelines, planning for the next phase of distribution is now occurring. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has various groups focusing on the prioritization of individuals, logistics of distribution and how different public and private entities will be involved as vaccination moves to those outside of health care. Some of the groups working on this topic include the regional coalitions, public health, the Science Advisory Team, the Minnesota COVID Ethics Collaborative (MCEC), the MDH Vaccine Allocation Advisory Group and a Vaccine Steering committee.

Governor loosens restrictions, urges Minnesotans to protect progress made over the past month

Gov. Tim Walz on Jan. 6 announced measures through Executive Order 21-01 to adjust the dials and open more activities and sectors of the economy starting Jan. 11. View details and supportive statements from business and health care leaders including MHA members and MHA.

Kathy Westling, LPN Retiring