The latest COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to your local pharmacy and doctor’s office. They were approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration last Thursday.

Health officials are recommending that people take the opportunity to fortify their immune systems against the latest variant of the virus. But across the country, people have been slow to get the previous round of shots. That includes people over the age of 75, who face higher risks from COVID.

In Minnesota, the Department of Health reports just 14 percent of people were up to date on their vaccines as of June. And COVID-19 wastewater levels and hospitalizations in the state have been climbing steadily over the last two months.

For more information, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.