Note: This information was written by the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group. 

Mayo Clinic continues to follow federal and state guidelines in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. Because each state is approaching vaccine allocation differently, Mayo Clinic sites vary in where they are in their rollout plans. 

While actual distribution varies by state, national vaccination plans by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) called for vaccinations to be rolled out in phases as outlined below. However, on Jan. 12, the Trump administration announced it will no longer hold back second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and is asking states to start vaccinating older adults and people with high-risk medical conditions in an effort to accelerate vaccinations. Mayo Clinic sites will follow the criteria for vaccine eligibility as directed by their respective state health departments who will continue to allocate all vaccine supplies. 

• Phase 1a: Health care personnel and long-term care residents.
• Phase 1b: Patients age 75 and older, plus "frontline essential workers" (firefighters, police, transit employees, postal workers, grocery workers, teachers, day care).
• Phase 1c: People age 65 and older, plus anyone age 16–64 with a high-risk condition and "other essential workers" (rest of transportation industry, food servers, lawyers, etc.).

National vaccination phases 2 to 4 are yet to be finalized by ACIP and are only projections at this time: 

• Phase 2: Congregate settings and adults with some increased risk.
• Phase 3: Younger adults and children, all workers.
• Phase 4: Remaining adults not in the workforce or at high risk.

Patients with an assigned primary care provider at Mayo Clinic or Mayo Clinic Health System will receive an invitation to be vaccinated through Patient Online Services. Patients who do not have a Patient Online Services account will receive a letter. 

Mayo Clinic in the Midwest expects to hear from the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin this week on when sites can begin vaccinating patients in Phase 1b and who will be included in Phase 1b.

Mayo Clinic in Florida began vaccinating patients age 65 and older with high-risk indications on Jan. 11.

Mayo Clinic in Arizona will begin Phase 1b drive through vaccinations on the Phoenix Campus for patients once additional shipments of vaccine are confirmed. 

Mayo Clinic will continue to post the current vaccination program status of our sites, along with anticipated dates for the next phase of eligible patients on mayoclinic.org as they become known.

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Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date. 

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Learn more about: Tracking COVID-19 and COVID-19 trends

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