MANKATO, Minn. — The state of Minnesota will expand its COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program by getting a seventh location up and running by next week.
Governor Tim Walz announced Friday that the new site will be in Mankato, at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. Mankato joins Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington, Saint Paul and St. Cloud as locations administering vaccine to Minnesotans.
The Moderna vaccine will be administered to currently eligible Minnesotans, including frontline workers, at the new clinic beginning next week.
“Across the state, we are building an expansive network of providers to bring vaccines directly to Minnesotans in their communities. Our Community Vaccine Program is a key component of this provider network,” said Governor Walz in a released statement. “The community vaccination sites are incredibly efficient at getting shots into arms, and this new location will help us reach more people in southern Minnesota quicker than ever before.”
Data as of Wednesday indicates Minnesota has administered more than two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 1.3 million people. Community Vaccination Program sites and the 10 pilot locations that came before them have administered more than 211,000 of those doses.
Residents who have not yet received vaccine are urged to sign up for the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, which will notify users about vaccine opportunities near them. Users currently eligible for the vaccine may be randomly selected for an appointment at a Community Vaccination Program location.
Those who do not have computer access, or who require translation assistance can call 833-431-2053 between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to sign up for the connector over the phone.
Minnesotans may be contacted directly if they can make an appointment.
In addition to the Vaccine Connector, Minnesotans can search for local providers, contact information and scheduling opportunities on the state’s vaccine finder map.