An executive order announced by Governor Tim Walz Monday looks to safeguard vaccine access across Minnesota.
Walz says it's in response to federal actions restricting vaccine availability.
State epidemiologists are being directed to issue what's called a "standing order" for the COVID-19 vaccine, which would provide greater flexibility for health care providers and pharmacists to provide the vaccine.
"I just issued an executive order to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota," said Walz on social media. "While the Trump Administration attempts to limit Americans’ access to preventative care, Minnesota will continue to be guided by science and the freedom to seek out medical expertise."
The order directs state agencies to remove barriers to vaccine access to the fullest extent permitted by law and available funding, so that vaccines remain broadly and readily accessible to Minnesotans.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm, who leads the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, says the United States is at a critical crossroads when it comes to public health.
Osterholm tells WCCO Radio's Chad Hartman that vaccine policies being pushed by the federal government and the rejection of data continues to fuel the public distrust of public health agencies.
"Are we going to go with science, that which has brought us increases in life expectancy, a much, much healthier world overall, and with many, many scientific findings that have brought great advances to our society? Are we going to go with that, or are we going to go with magic, smoke, and mirrors," Osterholm asked.
Osterholm also says that disbanding a $500 million investment in researching new mRNA technology was a mistake.
"To me that's the challenge we have right now, is how do we convey to the general population why you should be concerned about this? This is not just whether you can get a vaccine or not," Osterholm adds. "Very critical, this is about decisions like that that are tearing apart the public health response that we have worked so hard to develop."
Already, Florida has a plan to drop school vaccine mandates. But it likely won’t take effect for 90 days and would include only chickenpox and a few others unless lawmakers decide to extend it to other diseases.
The Florida health department shared some details Sunday, four days after the state's surgeon general said families can decide whether to vaccinate kids in school. Florida’s immediate plan would lift mandates on vaccines for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Hib influenza and pneumococcal diseases, such as meningitis.