Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.  Dear Neighbors, I hope you’ve had a good week. It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through June! Here’s an update from the Capitol: On Wednesday this week, Governor Walz announced Minnesota’s health care providers will be ready to vaccinate children 6 months and older against COVID-19 after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted to recommend vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna for that age group. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) must first issue vaccination recommendations, which could happen this weekend. Following CDC’s recommendations, the federal government will then ship vaccine doses to providers in Minnesota. Federal officials expect the first doses to arrive in the state early next week, if the vaccine is authorized this weekend. When the vaccines are available, families can do the following to find shots: - Contact your or your child’s primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
- Use the state’s Find Vaccine Locations to find vaccine providers near you.
- Parents can also visit mn.gov/vaxforkids for more information.
- Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
- Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at other community locations around Minnesota.
 Hometown Heroes Assistance Program ContinuesThanks to the advocacy of firefighters across the state and Minnesota Fire Initiative, this year the legislature passed a bill to extend the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program. This is a bipartisan program to provide free access to emotional trauma resources, up to $20,000 from critical illness insurance policies, and ongoing health and wellness training, including evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. This week, the Governor held a ceremonial bill signing event to celebrate its passage.  Our dedicated firefighters work hard every day to keep us safe and risk their own health and safety while they’re taking care of us. I’m glad we’re continuing to prioritize our firefighters’ physical and mental health with this initiative. Juneteenth Event at Parktacular A reminder about St. Louis Park’s Juneteenth celebration this Sunday, June 19th. Enjoy local food and business vendors and live music from noon- 4:00 p.m. Check out more details of the event here. Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to get in touch. Enjoy Father's Day weekend!  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |