New COVID-19 community vaccination site announced in Mankato

Beginning next week, the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program is expanding. Gov. Tim Walz’s office announced Friday that a new permanent site will be located at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato.

The large-scale Mankato site is the seventh permanent community vaccination site in Minnesota, joining Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington, St. Paul and St. Cloud. The Moderna vaccine will be administered to currently eligible Minnesotans, including frontline workers.

"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 Walz. "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."

The state has administered more than two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 1.3 million people as of Friday. To date, the sites and the 10 pilot locations that proceeded them have administered more than 211,000 doses.

Minnesota providers are quickly administering vaccines to vulnerable Minnesotans. Last week, the state reached its goal of vaccinating 70% of people age 65 years and older, leading Walz to expand vaccine eligibility to 1.8 million more Minnesotans.

"The Community Vaccine Program site in Mankato will help us get shots to more Minnesotans who need them – including frontline workers whose jobs put them at increased risk of COVID exposure," said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. "Minnesota providers are working hard to get shots to everyone who needs them, and we’re excited to stand up this additional Community Vaccination opportunity to help make that possible."

Minnesotans who have not received a vaccine should 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. Minnesotans may be contacted directly if they can make an appointment.

Minnesotans can sign up here. Those unable to sign up online or who require translation assistance can call 833-431-2053 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday to sign up over the phone.

In addition to the Vaccine Connector, Minnesotans can search for local providers, contact information and scheduling opportunities on the state’s vaccine finder map.