Essentia Health is making it more convenient for patients and non-patients alike to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.
Residents of Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin who meet their state’s current eligibility criteria can schedule a vaccination appointment one of two ways. First, appointments can be scheduled through MyChart, the online patient portal. A new upgrade allows everyone, including non-patients, to sign up for MyChart and schedule a vaccination.
Previously, MyChart was only available to individuals who had received care at Essentia Health.
“We are pleased to partner with our communities by providing self-service options accessible through MyChart,” Dr. Sarah Manney, Essentia’s chief medical information officer, said in a news release. “Non-Essentia patients will now be able to schedule a COVID test or vaccine and receive virtual urgent care through our on-demand services.”
Patients and community members also can call Essentia at 833-494-0836 to ask about scheduling a vaccine. If they meet their state’s eligibility criteria, callers will be scheduled for their immunization.
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Both methods require that registrants meet their state’s vaccination-eligibility criteria. Also, appointments are dependent on vaccine supply at each location.
State-specific information for vaccine eligibility can be found at the Minnesota Department of Health website at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine/basics.html.
To sign up for MyChart, interested parties may visit EssentiaHealth.org and click on the MyChart button in the upper right-hand corner; then click “sign up.” There is also a MyChart app for smart devices.
Essentia declared that all three vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) have undergone highly rigorous testing by the Food and Drug Administration that has ensured their safety, and millions of people now have received vaccines worldwide. They are proven to be highly effective, and individuals who are eligible are encouraged to receive any vaccine offered to them.
Additional information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine can be found by visiting EssentiaHealth.org and clicking on the “vaccine distribution” link at the top of the page.
