FEMA Team To Boost Vaccine Capacity At Mall Of America: Walz

MINNESOTA — A team of federal health care workers are arriving in Minnesota this week to boost vaccination capacity at the Mall of America, Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday.

The 16-person team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will help the Mall of America site administer hundreds more vaccines each day, with up to 2,000 doses per day once they are in place, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The Mall of America site has administered almost 14,000 vaccine doses to kids between 5 and 11 years old since Nov. 3. About 800 booster shots were administered at the site last week, officials said.

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The FEMA team will also bolster the state’s expansion of monoclonal antibody treatments to patients with COVID-19 in central Minnesota, the release states.

Monoclonal antibody treatments are outpatient infusions for patients at greater risk of hospitalization or death with moderate to mild COVID-19 symptoms from the last 10 days.

Though the treatments are “an important tool,” they should not be viewed as a “substitute for vaccination,” Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said.

The Minnesota Department of Health said last week it was expanding hours and capacity at its St. Paul clinic and requesting federal help to provide treatment in central Minnesota.

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Patients with COVID-19 who are seeking monoclonal antibody treatments must make an appointment through the online Minnesota Resource Allocation Platform, which will patients know if they are eligible for the treatment, as well as the nearest clinic offering appointments.

Malcolm thanked FEMA for sending a team to help bolster health care facilities’ capacity, which “is still very tight” in Minnesota.

Walz also said he was grateful for President Joe Biden’s partnership with Minnesota health officials to provide “live-saving vaccines and treatments,” and he urged residents to take advantage after a large recent spike in cases throughout the state.

“Get your shot if you haven’t,” Walz said. “Get a booster right away if you’re eligible. Get tested if you are feeling ill so you can get the treatment you need.”

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Minnesota health officials on Thursday confirmed the state’s first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in a Hennepin County resident who recently traveled to New York City. It is the second confirmed infection from the omicron variant in the U.S. after it was reported in California on Wednesday.