by Heidi L. Everett
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine pilot program that started last week for seniors is moving to a lottery system starting Tuesday, Jan. 26 after demand crashed the registration website.
Minnesotans aged 65 and over can now pre-register for a chance to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at one of nine vaccination sites, including St. Cloud. Pre-registration is not first come, first served.
Signing up for the pre-registration list means Minnesotans will have a chance to be randomly selected to make an appointment for a vaccine.
Pre-registration for the appointment lottery can be done online or by phone.
Online: The online portal will be available for pre-registration for 24 hours, starting Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 5:00 a.m. During these hours, a link to access the online portal will be live at mn.gov/vaccine
By phone: The call center will be open on Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for pre-registration. Call toll free at 833-431-2053.
If randomly selected to make an appointment for a vaccine, individuals will be notified on Wednesday, Jan. 27 by text, email or phone with instructions on how to finalize an appointment.
Reservationists will make only two attempts to contact individuals before moving to another Minnesotan on the pre-registration list to schedule an appointment.
At this time, there are not enough vaccine doses for all who want one. More opportunities for vaccination will be coming as the federal government provides more vaccine.
