COVID

Vaccination Update


Influenza and Moderna COVID-19 Bivalent Boosters Available at Freeborn County Public Health Vaccination Clinics for persons 18 years and older

 

Influenza season is here!  The best way to prevent flu is to get a flu vaccine each year.

Everyone age 5 and older is now recommended to get an updated COVID-19 booster, also called a bivalent booster. If it has been at least 2 months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose, you may be eligible. 

Here are three things to know about why this updated booster is important to get:

-It protects against the original COVID-19 strains as well as newer variants.

-It helps keep protection against COVID-19 high.

-It provides the best protection against severe cases of COVID-19.

Find out more here: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine/bivalentfs.pdf


Freeborn County Public Health is not currently offering COVID-19 vaccine for children.  Contact your child’s health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccination.  


Freeborn County Public Health has Moderna COVID-19 bivalent boosters available.  We will also be offering Influenza vaccine at these clinics. You will be able to indicate which vaccine(s) you would like to receive in the registration process at the link below. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not be available. 

If you are receiving the influenza vaccine please bring your Medical Assistance card, or Medicare and Advantage Plan cards. If you have other insurance the cost will be $45 and we will provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance.  

To make an appointment:

Visit: https://FCPublicHealthClinic.as.me/ or if you need assistance to schedule, call 507-377-5100 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

If you want a COVID-19 booster shot and the Freeborn County Public Health clinic days and times do not work for you, you can visit this link to find other clinics: Find Vaccine Locations.

image - everyone age 5 and older should get an updated COVID-19 booster shot


Need the dates of your COVID-19 vaccines? 

Minnesotans can easily access their immunization record through their smartphones or other mobile devices by using an app called Docket. Docket enables residents with a Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) record to securely view and share their immunization records. 

For more information on how to download the Docket app, visit this webpage: https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/miic/docket.html

If you are unable to access your records, call Freeborn County Public Health at 507-377-5100 for assistance.

Minnesota launches new COVID-19 telehealth treatment pilot program

Partnership with Cue Health ensures Minnesotans can access COVID-19 care and therapeutics at no cost

The State of Minnesota launched a new telehealth test-to-treat program today to ensure Minnesotans who have tested positive for COVID-19 have easy access to clinician care and therapeutic treatments that reduce their risk of serious illness or hospitalization.


Beginning immediately, Minnesotans who test positive for COVID-19, either with a home test or a positive test from a lab, can download the Cue Health app and sign up with their Minnesota address to have a virtual consultation with a licensed clinician who will evaluate them to determine if therapeutic treatment is a good option. If they are a good candidate for therapeutics, the clinician can issue that prescription to the patient’s local pharmacy. In some areas of the state, those prescription medications can be delivered to the person’s home. All services, including the consultation, medication and delivery, will come at no cost to the Minnesotans who use this service. This pilot program is available to all Minnesota residents.


“This pilot program is another tool in Minnesota’s toolbox for limiting the negative impacts of COVID-19,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “Minnesotans who test positive will be able to more easily access therapeutics that can help them get on the road to recovery. We know that accessing therapeutics within five days of developing symptoms of COVID-19 can greatly improve outcomes and help Minnesotans to avoid severe illness or hospitalization. We are continuing to find new and innovative ways to reduce barriers to access for those therapeutics.”


For more information on how to access this program and for instructions on downloading and getting started with the Cue Health App, please visit care.cuehealth.com/mn.


This pilot program works with any at-home or lab COVID-19 test regardless of brand. For more information on where to access at-home tests, please visit Order rapid tests or check with your insurance company about ways to get free rapid tests from pharmacies. Tests should be PCR or antigen tests and not antibody blood test results.


Heading into the holiday season, the Minnesota Department of Health continues to encourage Minnesotans to celebrate safely. Testing if you have symptoms, staying home if you test positive for COVID-19, and making sure you are up to date with the most recent updated COVID-19 vaccinations are all crucial to keeping our families and communities safe this holiday season. Minnesotans at higher risk for COVID-19 who test positive also can get COVID-19 medications through their health care provider and other in-person test-to-treat locations around the state.

 How Minnesotans can get a free COVID-19 shot  

  • Contact your health care provider or a local pharmacy.  
  • Use the state’s Find Vaccine Locations to find vaccine providers near you—providers will update their information as appointments are available.  
  • Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).  
  • Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at other community locations around Minnesota.  

How Minnesotans can get a COVID-19 test  

  • Walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the state’s free COVID-19 Community Testing Sites. Test-to-treat options are available at some locations.  
  • Order rapid tests through the state’s free COVID-19 at-home rapid testing program.  
  • Check with your insurance company about ways to get free rapid tests from pharmacies.  
  • Find a testing option near you through the state’s Find Testing Locations map.  

How to receive covid-19 treatment through the telehealth program

COVID-19 TESTING AND VACCINATION OPTIONS IN FREEBORN COUNTY

Freeborn County Public Health                                                                                                                                              Testing –  Not available                                                                                                                                                           Vaccinations –  Moderna vaccine                                                                                                                                                 Call 507-377-5100 to schedule or check our Facebook page

Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea                                                                                                                               Testing and Vaccinations –  Call 1-800-628-2538 (toll-free) or visit their website.

Albert Lea Hy-Vee Pharmacy - Visit their website.

Albert Lea Walgreens Pharmacy - Visit their website.

Albert Lea Walmart Pharmacy - Visit their website.

To find other testing locations, click on this link: https://mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/

To find other vaccine locations, click on this link: https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/ 

OR vaccines.gov 

person had Covid-19 vaccination

MDH     COVID-19 Vaccine      

          Information

COVID-19 vaccine information is changing rapidly!  The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has the current information regarding vaccines.  For more information about the COVID vaccine click here.


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Information

If you would like information about Coronavirus or COVID-19, please go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

More Information and Resources


View Information From Mayo Clinic Health System

For information on COVID-19 testing and vaccination, please contact your local primary care office. Information on COVID-19 may be found at mayoclinic.org and the Mayo Clinic Health System website. Mayo Clinic Health System patients may send a secure message to their care team using Patient Online Services.

People SHOULD NOT go directly to Emergency Room, Urgent Care or show up at the clinic if they think they were exposed to COVID-19. Call your local primary care office. Expect delays while on hold.

If a person has a sudden change in their health such as sudden onset of chest pain, difficulty breathing etc., call 911.

Remember stay home if you are sick and avoid contact with people who are sick. Wash your hands and avoid touching your face. Cover your cough or sneeze and clean frequently touched surfaces.


View Information From Minnesota Department Of Health

COVID-19 Public Hotline: For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call 1-833-431-2053:  Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday closed.              

Mental Health Crisis Line: call **CRISIS (**274747).

Patient Health

What can you do to protect yourself and others

  • The most important thing Minnesotans can do right now to help protect themselves, their families and their communities is to take those tried and true, everyday steps to prevent respiratory illnesses. Those include:

‒ Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throwing the tissue in the trash.

‒ Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

‒ Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes, nose and mouth - with unwashed hands.

‒ Stay home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.