MyChart
Expanded COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility: Welia Health offers vaccines to more people
Clinic scheduled for Thursday, March 18
Minnesota has expanded eligibility for the next two priority groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
With this news, Welia Health and Kanabec County Community Health have scheduled a COVID-19 vaccine clinic—on Thursday, March 18, from 8am–2 pm. Dose one of a two-dose series of Pfizer will be offered.
Please note, vaccines are available by appointment only.
Please review the eligibility requirements carefully before scheduling an appointment.
Who’s eligible for the vaccine?
- Minnesotans aged 65 or older
- Health care workers and people working at health care facilities, first responders who provide direct patient care as part of the EMS system, and primary caregivers (paid or unpaid) for people with complex medical needs or disabilities
- Long-term care residents and staff members at long-term care facilities in Minnesota
- Pre-kindergarten through Adult Basic and Community Education school staff members, or contracted school staff members, at schools in Minnesota
- Child care staff members at licensed and certified child care centers or programs in Minnesota
- People with specific underlying health conditions: Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
- Targeted essential workers
- Food processing plants
- People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
- People age 45 and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions:
- Active cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Diabetes – Type 1 or 2
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications
- Obesity – body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- People 50+ in multi-generational housing
- Essential frontline workers
- Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers
Note: Providers have been directed to prioritize people in the first of these phases, which includes Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions; food processing plant workers; and Minnesotans with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness.
For more information, including details about qualifying medical conditions and vaccinations for targeted essential workers, please visit the Minnesota Department of Health website.
Next steps
Once you determine you are eligible, follow five easy steps to get your COVID-19 vaccine.
1. Schedule an appointment
- Click this link to schedule an appointment on Thursday, March 18.
- OR call 320.679.6417 to schedule an appointment by phone. Calls are answered Mon – Fri from 8am – 4:30pm
To schedule, you will need to be a current Welia Health patient (seen by a provider within the last three years) OR a Kanabec or Pine County resident.
No walk-ins.
2. Check in at the Welia Center
- On the day of your appointment, arrive and check-in at the Welia Center (formerly the Community Wellness Center), located at 200 N 9th St, Mora, no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your appointment. This will help ensure social distancing. Remember, masks are required.
- Do not park in the Elementary school parking lot. The Welia Center is located behind the Elementary School (in the northwest corner) past the tennis courts and has its own entrance.
- Bring a current ID as proof of eligibility
- The vaccine is free for everyone.
3. Get your shot!
- You’ll review safety information with a nurse, including a fact sheet from either Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna (depending upon the specific doses allocated), then sign the vaccination agreement before getting your shot.
- Thank you for helping to stop the spread of COVID-19!
4. Relax for 15 minutes
- Following your vaccination, you will need to sit for 15 minutes to ensure you do not experience an allergic reaction.
- If you have a history of allergic reactions, you will need to sit for 30 minutes for observation.
- During the observation period, a representative will schedule your second dose 21 days or 28 days from the date of your first dose, depending upon which vaccine you receive.
5. Review COVID-19 information flyers
- Before you leave, you’ll receive an FAQ flyer from either Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna, and another called, What to Expect After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine, outlining common side effects and steps to keep yourself and others safe.
If you think you might be having an allergic reaction, go to a hospital or call 9-1-1. If you have side effects that do not go away after a few days, call your primary care provider at 320.679.1313.
Stay informed
As the supply of COVID-19 vaccines increase in the weeks and months ahead, here’s how you can stay up to date.
- Sign up for email updates from Welia Health
- Visit our COVID-19 update page at weliahealth.org/coronavirus
- Follow social media accounts
- Listen to the local radio stations
- Watch your local papers
- Call the Kanabec County Community Health hotline at 320.679.6464 for a recorded message
- Check the Minnesota Department of Health website
