Minnesota governors get COVID boosters at Cub Foods

Cub Foods has the distinction of not only administering a COVID-19 vaccination to Minnesota’s current governor but also giving one to its former governor on the same day — twice.

Before TV cameras, Stillwater, Minn.-based Cub injected Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his predecessor, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, with COVID boosters on Oct. 26 at its Northside store on 701 W. Broadway Ave. in Minneapolis. The store’s pharmacy team also administered a booster to Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm.

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In March, Walz also received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine alongside Pawlenty in a bipartisan effort to encourage Minnesotans to get immunized against coronavirus. 

“Federal authorization of [Pfizer], Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster doses means more Minnesotans will be able to maximize their protection against COVID-19,” Walz said at the event. “As a Johnson & Johnson recipient myself, I am excited to be able to get boosted protection against this virus, especially as the weather gets colder, the holidays approach, and more of our interactions and activities move indoors. Minnesotans who are recommended to get a booster should roll up their sleeves and get their shot.” 

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Cub Foods CEO Mike Stigers also attended the event. Before receiving their shots, Walz, Pawlenty and Malcolm held a brief media event to highlight the importance of getting the booster shot when recommended. 

“Cub has been a part of the Minnesota community for over 50 years, and over the past several months, our 81 pharmacies have provided over 130,000 COVID-19 vaccines,” Stigers said. “I am extremely proud of our entire team’s commitment throughout the pandemic to ensure our communities have access to food and health services they need most in their daily lives.”

Through Oct. 27, 72% of adults in Minnesota had received full COVID-19 vaccinations, including 92.5% of seniors and 71.3% of those ages 16 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Part of United Natural Foods Inc., Cub Foods has a retail network of more than 80 supermarkets, primarily in the Twin Cities market but also including one Illinois store.