ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Co-leader of Mayo’s vaccination distribution program Dr. Abinash Virk claims that Mayo has the ability to vaccinate up to 50,000 people a week.
However, the number of doses that get much smaller each week than it gets is based on who has the greatest risk.
Virk acknowledges that some Mayo telecom health workers were accidentally vaccinated, ensuring that this was not done intentionally and that it could be explained by other factors.
“The leadership of the state has changed, developed and rotated regularly,” Virk said. “Right now I think it all depends on the vaccine supply.”
Mayo says it has prioritized from the outset based on most risks. It closes back in December when the vaccine was first available.
“Whether it was in the ICU, medical floor, lab workers, supervisors who cleaned the room and everyone who would come in contact with COVID-19 patients,” Virk said.
Many people in the community have pointed to examples of Mayo workers not coming to campus to get their vaccinations before non-Mayo health care providers.
One anonymous tip to KTTC: “I personally know two people who received the vaccine, even though they work at Mayo, have no patient contact. These people are not frontline workers and also not essential workers. They clearly fall into phase 3. “
The KTTC tip line is flooded with people wanting to remain anonymous, and everyone claims the same.
“It is possible that some people have been classified as a patient sitting on campus or not,” Virk said. “Unfortunately, this process was not perfect.”
Generally, Virk blames any person who is out of action for vaccinating staff, due to the confusion and rapid pace of vaccine deployment. She also said Mayo did not give the state guidance to vaccinate health workers outside of Mayo’s surgery. But now they are willing to share.
“For our own health workers, we will continue to vaccinate them, but let’s give some of the doses to members of the community,” Virk said. “We are so happy that they are coming to be vaccinated this week.”
While state counseling advises vaccinating someone over the age of 65, a new pilot program at Mayo starting this week is being scaled down.
“The guidance we received was 80 years old in the provinces we serve,” explains Virk.
She says all of these appointments are being booked for the first week. Mayo expects to vaccinate about 1,800 people over 80 this week.
Mayo does not know how much vaccine will be awarded next week, but hopes to complete all 6,000 of its patients over 80, as well as non-Mayo patients in the same age group within the next few weeks.