Grand Marais hospital administrator shares update on pandemic, vaccination mandates

A new federal vaccine mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, is affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
 
In more news related to the pandemic, Cook County Public Health officials and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic are planning to offer booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with new CDC recommendations. 

There is a vaccination event this Thursday morning (Sept. 30) at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic where the Pfizer vaccine will be available for first, second and third booster doses. 

The new recommendation is for certain high-risk individuals to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine six months after the second dose.
 
CDC list of who get the booster dose according to the CDC:
--People 65 and older
--Residents of long-term care facilities
--People 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions

Who is also eligible get the booster dose according to the CDC:
--People 18-49 years with underlying health conditions
--People 18-49 years at increased risk of transmission due to occupational or institutional exposure.

It is important to note that this recommendation is only for those individuals who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine previously. There is not currently a booster recommendation for those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If you are unsure which type of COVID-19 vaccine you received, it is listed on the vaccination card you received.
 
To hear more local healthcare news, the audio below is an interview with North Shore Health Hospital Administrator Kimber Wraalstad. Audio below.