The Minnesota Department of Health announced on Monday that the Mall of America COVID vaccine site will start running on June 22, offering Pfizer vaccines for children between 6 months and 5 years old as well as booster doses for ages 5 and up.
The Mall of America vaccination site is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and appointments are required for children 6 months to 5 years. Appointments can be booked online at Community Vaccination for COVID-19.
Since demands are expected to be high, this is not parents’ only option. Vaccines will also be available throughout most of Minnesota’s provider network including pediatricians, local clinics, and pharmacies. For more information on children and vaccines visit the MDH page.
“Families can now feel assured that there are safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to protect our youngest kids from severe illness, too,” said Dr. Gigi Chawla, vice president and chief of general pediatrics at Children’s Minnesota, in a statement. “The data is remarkably clear that vaccination is the best way to protect our children and communities. As a parent and a pediatrician, I encourage all families to get their eligible kids vaccinated.”
According to the MDH, more than 320 primary care providers, pediatric and family medicine offices, and more report that they will offer the vaccine to children between 6 months and five years old. Providers can be found on the MDH Find Vaccine Locations map.
To expand access, over 20 COVID Community Coordinators will host vaccine clinics for children under 5 in Minnesota several communities over the coming weeks. Additionally, the MDH is partnering with Children’s Minnesota to host weekly vaccination clinics at four Children’s clinics including West Saint Paul, Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul. All families are welcome, even those who aren’t Children’s patients.
“This is an important and exciting time for many families as our youngest Minnesotans can now receive important protection against COVID-19 through vaccination,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said. “We know that even young children can get very sick from this virus, and that’s why it’s important for all of us to continue doing everything we can to protect our loved ones and our communities from COVID-19. Now is a great time to make sure the entire family is up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.”
