Care Center nurse gets first Cook County COVID-19 vaccination

The process of vaccinating for COVID-19 started in Cook County today in what healthcare officials from Grand Marais to Washington D.C. call a huge step toward moving beyond the grip of the conronavirus pandemic.

The first person to be vaccinated in Cook County was Kristi Silence, a licensed practical nurse at North Shore Health’s Care Center in Grand Marais.

North Shore Health Hospital Administrator Kimber Wraalstad said 40 people, all of them healthcare workers or involved with local healthcare, were vaccinated in Cook County today.

A total of 75 vaccines arrived to Cook County Dec. 21. The remaining 35 vaccines will be administered Wednesday, Dec. 23. The Pfizer vaccines are the first round to arrive to Cook County.

According to Gov. Tim Walz, healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities will be the state’s first residents to receive a vaccination.

Joe Friedrichs December 22, 2020