Rochester Minnesota Company Developing an Oral COVID-19 Vaccine

16-17: 774
18-49: 238,934
50-64: 139,069
65+: 307,423

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Vyriad is a research company based right here in Rochester Minnesota. Their team typically studies how viruses can be used in cancer treatments. When the pandemic hit last year, they turned their attention to COVID-19 and developed an antibody test that was used by the Mayo Clinic.

Now the research company is working to develop a new oral vaccine to protect people from the coronavirus. The company’s CEO, Dr. Stephen Russell, told FOX 9 News, "It could make it more accessible to the world because the need for syringes and needles and technically trained staff for vaccine administration is a big problem.”

Meanwhile, the state of Minnesota says more than 686,000 Minnesotans have received their first shot and over 240,000 Minnesotans are now fully vaccinated. According to KROC News, 37,530 people in Olmsted County have had at least one dose of the vaccine, which is just over 24 percent of the population.

People with at least one vaccine shot by age.