Talking Points: COVID Vaccines Are Rolling Out, But Will The Public Take Them?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As the vaccine roll out continues, so does the campaign to convince people to get the vaccine and to continue taking precautions against the virus.
Public health experts says while vaccines bring hope for the end of the pandemic, one of the biggest concerns is the public's skepticism about the virus and the vaccine.
You can see the skepticism, as well as anger, at Minnesota bars that have defied the Gov. Tim Walz's shutdown orders. It also appears in national studies that show at least 40% of the public and 30% of health care workers are considering not taking the vaccine.
Jan Malcolm, Minnesota's Commissioner of Health, was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning. "We are shooting for at least seventy to eighty percent of coverage of the population with these vaccines," she said. "Ultimately, in order to feel like we really snuff it out or stop it from becoming the pandemic that has challenged the whole world."
Local health officials agree with federal guidelines that say two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine has to be taken to guarantee effectiveness. And while logistics have been bumpy in the first days of the rollout, Minnesota health officials says the logistics around Moderna's vaccine are easier because unlike the Pfizer vaccine it does not have to be stores at minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
