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Beginning Tuesday, older Minnesotans will have a 24-hour window to register for a chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. It will be random selection rather than first come, first served. The web and telephone 

 opened up last week to a widening pool of candidates. 

Minnesotans ages 65 and over, child care providers and teachers are now eligible to get vaccinated alongside front-line health care workers and people who live or work at long-term care facilities. 

Even though eligibility is growing, the number of doses available remains limited. 

Here's what you need to know

Thousands of vaccine slots for older Minnesotans fill quickly, demand swamps phone lines, website

The slow rollout is a source of contention among 

, but state officials point to bottlenecks within the federal government which doles out vaccines to each state. Right now, Minnesota’s share is about 

Minnesota's top public health officials spoke with MPR News host Kerri Miller about the state’s initial vaccine rollout and when Minnesotans can expect vaccination rates to ramp up. 

A previous version of this story misstated the time of day the web and telephone queues would open for vaccine appointments in Minnesota. The story has been updated.

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Minnesota’s health commissioner and the director of the state’s infectious disease division answered listener questions about the vaccine rollout and eligibility.

Minn.’s top public health officials answer your questions about the initial vaccine rollout

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