Vaccination rates reduce risks in Southeast Minnesota as delta variant surges nationally

Jul. 16—When it comes to COVID-19 finding a home these days, it appears to be all about location.

"I think we are starting to see a spectrum of risk across the country, depending on where you live," Olmsted County Public Health Director Graham Briggs said.

While local residents are getting out to festivals and other events, people are overwhelming intensive care units in other states.

However, the risk is not specifically linked to location, Briggs said. It's based on vaccination rates in those locations.

Nearly 80 percent of Olmsted County residents eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination have received at least one dose, so local risks are lower than in areas where less than 50 percent of the population has started the vaccination process. Some counties in central Minnesota are in that low vaccination rate statistic.

During his recent visit to Rochester, Gov. Tim Walz cited concerns about the COVID-19 delta variant spreading among the unvaccinated population.

"The delta variant is far more transmittable, and it appears to be creating more difficult cases," he said.

Briggs said the variant hasn't been documented in Olmsted County, but it's likely lurking undetected.

VACCINATIONS SLOWING

With the number of new vaccinations on the decline, Briggs said risks of increased COVID spread among the unprotected is a concern.

Where 98,490 doses of vaccine were administered in April during the peak of distribution in Southeastern Minnesota, only 20,792 doses were given last month and fewer than 3,000 doses have been administered so far July, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

The region has a combined vaccination rate of 70 percent for people 12 and older, which is outpacing the statewide rate of 66 percent.

In the region, Winona County reports the lowest vaccination rate — 59.8 percent — for eligible residents.

While life might seem to be returning to normal for many residents, Briggs said people need to be aware of the risks some people face.

"There's going to be risk for unvaccinated people here for the unforeseeable future — until people either get exposed or they decide to get vaccinated or this virus just goes away and disappears," he said, adding that the first option is the most likely outcome.

Minnesota is among 46 states that have had new-case rates increase by 10 percent or more in the past week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In Olmsted County, Briggs said the number of confirmed new cases — 26 — was up this week, but the number of affected households held steady, which indicates greater spread within families.

CONTINUED EFFORTS

Walz and Briggs continue to spread the message that the best way to reduce the risk of becoming ill with COVID-19 is to become vaccinated.

While approximately 50 COVID cases in Olmsted County were found in vaccinated residents, Briggs said he's not aware of any that required hospitalization, and noted the number is low compared to the 102,000 residents that have received one of three vaccines.

Walz said the vaccine also appears to reduce fatalities connected to the virus.

Every person in Minnesota who died of COVID-19 in the past three weeks was unvaccinated, he said. "They were all preventable, or at least 99 percent of them."

Walz said he continues to encourage people to get vaccinated to prevent them from becoming what he called "variant manufacturers," which could create even more aggressive strains of the virus.

Briggs said it's the nature of COVID to adjust and find ways to become more effective, but he also said there are likely people who will wait to become infected rather than being vaccinated, which brings a lingering worry.

"I'm concerned we are not done with the deaths here," he said, pointing to the 102 Olmsted County deaths linked to COVID during the pandemic.

To avoid that, he said residents can continue to get the vaccine from their health providers.

"The best thing we can do right now is to let the community know that for those who are not interested in the vaccine right now, that if they change their mind, the vaccine will be available and we will help them out," Briggs said. "There's no judgment on my part for people who may change their mind."

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