What to Know About Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment in Minnesota

Vaccine eligibility expanded significantly this week. Here are the latest updates.

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Gov. Tim Walz announced that all Minnesotans age 16 and up will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday, March 30. The expansion comes as concern grows about the state’s recent increase in daily case counts, which public health leaders believe is related to the spread of the U.K. COVID-19 variant. 503 cases of the variant have been confirmed in recent weeks. COVID outbreaks have also been linked to youth sports in Carver County and Ely. 

As the race against the variant’s spread accelerates, health department leaders expect a significant increase in available vaccine doses starting the first week in April: 300,000 doses for people receiving their first shot, and 200,000 for people receiving their second. That’s nearly double the state’s current pace of around 40,000 shots daily. 

If you’re 16 and up, there are several ways to make a vaccine appointment: 

Sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to be informed about vaccine opportunities in your area. If you’re signed up on Vaccine Connector, you may be randomly selected to make an appointment at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program sites. (You’ll be notified by text, email, or phone call by one of the state vaccination partners running those sites: Vault Health, Primary Bio or SpeciaLysts (Solv)). 

If you want to seek out a vaccine yourself, use the Vaccine Locator Map to find providers nearby. 

Contact your primary health care provider about scheduling a vaccine appointment. For the time being, providers have been asked to prioritize older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions, and essential workers. 

Look for vaccine appointments at these local pharmacies:

Check out the Vaccine Spotter to locate vaccines near you. There's also a helpful Facebook group aiding Minnesota seniors and members of at risk communities find vaccine sites and schedule appointments: you can join Minneapolis Vaccine Hunters (they help ALL of Minnesota, not just Minneapolis). 

In the meantime, the state cautions everyone to continue wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, and getting COVID tests as needed. If you need to schedule a COVID test, find the nearest no-cost test site here. 

This post will be updated as the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process changes.