Minnesota Seniors Get 24 Hours to Sign Up for Vaccine Lottery

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the state of Minnesota is switching to a random lottery to schedule seniors for limited COVID-19 vaccinations, offering a 24-hour sign-up window rather than a first-come, first-served approach. Gov. Tim Walz on Monday announced that Minnesotans 65 and older will have a full day, starting at 5 a.m. Tuesday, to preregister for inoculations and to pick one of nine sites. Randomly selected seniors will be notified Wednesday of their appointments. Walz also challenged providers to distribute 90 percent of first vaccine doses within three days of receipt, and all of those shots within a week, rather than assigning them to appointments days later in a way that has harmed Minnesota in terms of efficiency. "These actions won't make more vaccine appear out of thin air, but we're going to get what we do have to Minnesotans as quickly as possible," he declared. The state has prioritized its limited initial supply of federally controlled doses for 500,000 healthcare workers and residents of long-term care communities. The lottery approach addresses the dilemma seniors face when the closest appointments for vaccine are hours away.