More than 61% of Minnesotans over 12 have at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine dose

(FOX 9) - Over 61% of Minnesotans over the age of 12 have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and around 54% are fully vaccinated, the latest data from the state health department shows.

The Minnesota Department of Health began including vaccination data for people 12-15 in their reports earlier this week. People ages 12-17 are currently eligible to get the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only one of the three approved vaccines in the U.S. authorized for use among people under 18.

Parents, health experts helping hesitant teens understand more about the coronavirus vaccine

While the vaccines are open to teens in Minnesota, some parents say their kids are still hesitant to get it. Some health experts offered advice on how to reach them.

Over 5.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Minnesota so far.

On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz is set to announce incentives for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The governor’s office said the state will offer freebies including state park passes and fishing licenses as well as fair and amusement park tickets to people who get the vaccine.

Meanwhile, MDH reported 505 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 more deaths on Thursday.

There have now been a total of 600,408 COVID-19 cases reported in Minnesota since the pandemic began and 7403 people have died from the disease.

The 505 newly reported cases were out of 26,021 tests, a 1.9% positivity rate. Minnesota’s seven-day rolling average test positivity rate remains below the 5% caution threshold at 4.1%. Anything over 5% is a concern for MDH because it indicates a high rate of community transmission.

Five of the 10 deaths reported on Thursday were in the seven-county Twin Cities metro. Only two of the deaths were in long-term care facilities. Three of the people who died were under 65 years old, including one person in their late 20s from Redwood County. To date, only 12 Minnesotans ages 20-29 have died from COVID-19.

There are currently 334 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Minnesota, 80 of whom are in the ICU.