August 8, 2024
With August being National Immunization Awareness Month, it’s time to begin recommending vaccination for the 2024-25 respiratory season, says the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
MDH is asking physicians to recommend the seasonal influenza vaccine and the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to all people 6 months of age and older. In addition, MDH is recommending that all infants are protected by either maternal RSV vaccination or infant nirsevimab immunization for the 2024-25 RSV season. Older adults should be protected from RSV by following the ACIP recommendation to immunize people 75 years of age and older and 60-74 years of age who are at risk of severe RSV disease.
Here is additional background information from MDH:
RSV vaccines may be co-administered with other vaccines.
Data showed that nirsevimab was up to 98% effective in preventing hospitalization in infants during the 2023-2024 season.
The influenza vaccine will be a trivalent formulation with the B/Yamagata vaccine component removed since influenza B/Yamagata viruses have not been detected since March 2020.
Providers should prepare to offer the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine year-round according to ACIP recommendations, as it is not considered a seasonal vaccine at this time.
ACIP recommends high-dose and adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccines as acceptable options for people 18 through 64 years of age who have had a solid organ transplant.
MDH is promoting seasonal influenza vaccine for farm workers who also may be at risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, H5N1 to decrease possible co-infections.
MDH can address clinical vaccination questions through its health.vaccineSME@state.mn.us inbox.
August 14, 2025
It was a tumultuous week for healthcare in Minnesota as St. Cloud-based CentraCare announced that it was laying off 535 of its employees, and the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to dissolve the Hennepin Healthcare System board, which controls Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in downtown Minneapolis.
August 14, 2025
Along with the insights of best-selling author Elisabeth Rosenthal, MD, and University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, MD, Empowering Physicians: A Night of Learning & Connection event-goers will have an array of vendors with which to interact.
August 14, 2025
Across Minnesota, physicians and care teams—both formally and informally—are leading efforts to improve clinician well-being. Some hold official wellness titles, while many are simply the “go-to” people in their clinic, department, or system when colleagues need support.