State ramping up effort to vaccinate teachers, child care providers

Minnesota is ramping up its effort to get more COVID-19 shots to teachers and child care providers.

A pop-up vaccine site is opening at Roy Wilkins auditorium in St. Paul. The hope is to vaccinate as many as 375 people per hour.

The goal is to give out 15,000 doses over the next five days.

The pilot event is only for metro educators and child care workers who have been contacted by their employer.

Thousands of Minnesotans preregister to be randomly selected for COVID-19 vaccination

On Wednesday, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS was able to get a look inside of the facility and how it will run, starting Thursday.

There are 36 stations set up to administer the shots. After patients get the vaccine, they’ll be sent to another room where they have to wait 15 minutes, to see if they have a reaction, before being allowed to leave.

Those with appointments coming to Roy Wilkins will get the first dose of the Moderna vaccine and then will return 28 days later for the second.

School districts and charter schools will work directly with employees to secure an appointment.

As for child care programs, they are randomly selected and will be notified if vaccines are available.

"The school district gets the link, they share it with their teachers and their staff and child care providers get the link and they share it with their staff as well," Amanda Frie, vaccine site leader, said.

Walk-ins are not allowed.

Due to the limited supply of the vaccine, schools will choose employees based on face-to-face interaction with children.

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