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*Minnesota Department of Health*

"June 29, 2022"

Minnesota News and Outreach

COVID-19 Vaccines Available to Children Under 5

Vaccines are now recommended for children 6 months to 5 years old. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and will help keep kids out of the hospital. The COVID-19 vaccine is free for all Minnesotans.

*Two vaccines have been authorized for this age group:*


* *The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years old is a three-dose series. *The second dose is given three to eight weeks after the first dose; the third dose is at least eight weeks after the second dose.
* *The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 5 years old is a two-dose series. *The second dose is given four to eight weeks after the first dose.

It is critical to get all recommended doses for maximum protection.

Now that vaccines are authorized for children 6 months to 5 years old, the whole family can receive strong protection against COVID-19 by staying up to date on their shots.?Initial demand is expected to be high, and families wishing to get the vaccine in a specific location ? such as through their family pediatrician ? may need to wait several weeks until appointments are available.

*Families can do the following to find shots:*


* Contact your or your child?s primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
* Use the state?s Find Vaccine Locations [ [link removed] ]?map to find vaccine providers near you.
* The state?s Mall of America Community Vaccination Site [ [link removed] ] will be offering Pfizer vaccines to people 6 months of age and older. *Appointments are required for children 6 months to 5 years. *The?site is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 1 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Parents can also visit COVID-19 Vaccine for Children and Teens [ [link removed] ] for more information.

* Check for vaccine appointments at vaccines.gov [ [link removed] ], where you can search for appointments by vaccine type.
* Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at other community locations around Minnesota.
Kids 6 months to 5 years can now get their vaccine!________________________________________________________________________

Minnesota Test-to-Treat Updates

At community test-to-treat sites, Minnesotans can get tested for COVID-19 and, if positive and determined to be high-risk, receive a prescription for medication at the same time. Governor Walz announced that Minnesota?s state-run test-to-treat sites will add the ability for patients to fill their prescriptions for Paxlovid on site. The testing, evaluation by a clinician, and prescriptions themselves will continue to come at no cost to Minnesotans.

Since opening earlier this month, the sites have prescribed medication to more than 580 Minnesotans.

The prescription medications are available at the following community test-to-treat sites:


* Brooklyn Park: Starlite Center
* Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC)
*

Moorhead: Former Thomas Edison Elementary School


* MSP Airport
*

St. Paul - Midway:?Former Herberger's

Find operating hours, locations, and appointments at COVID-19 Community Testing Sites [ [link removed] ].

Minnesotans seeking medication at community test-to-treat sites should be prepared to provide details of their medical history, particularly their current medications, to the on-site clinician. Only patients deemed high risk by the clinician will receive a prescription for Paxlovid.

Community Testing Location Changes

Because testing demand is falling rapidly around Minnesota, to preserve state resources and capacity for any future case surge, and due to widely available free testing through other providers, MDH is resizing its community testing network.

Free COVID-19 testing is available from providers including clinics and pharmacies. Minnesotans can receive free at-home rapid testing in the mail from the state at?Order your free at-home rapid tests [ [link removed] ], the federal government at?COVID.gov/tests [ [link removed] ], and through reimbursement from health insurers.

The state?s three busiest Twin Cities testing sites and four busiest Greater Minnesota testing sites will remain open until further notice:


* Brooklyn Park (including test-to-treat)
* Duluth (including test-to-treat)
* Mankato
* MSP Airport (including test-to-treat)
* Moorhead (including test-to-treat)
* St. Cloud
* Saint Paul-Midway (including test-to-treat)

As of today (June 29) at 6 p.m., the COVID-19 testing locations below are closed:


* Albert Lea
* Bemidji
* Bloomington
* Marshall
* Morris
* North Branch
* Wadena
* Winona

Visit?COVID-19 Community Testing Sites [ [link removed] ]?for a list of operating hours and addresses and to make an appointment.

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Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Materials

We are adding new videos, print materials, and translated documents often. Check out the pages below to view, download, or print these resources.

COVID-19 Translated Materials [ [link removed] ]

Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response [ [link removed] ]

Videos for COVID-19 Response [ [link removed] ]



Visit Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) [ [link removed] ] for up-to-date information and?*follow MDH on?Facebook [ [link removed] ], Twitter [ [link removed] ], &?Instagram [ [link removed] ].*



What's New

Recommendations for Attendees and Organizers of Events

The updated Recommendations for Attendees and Organizers of Events [ [link removed] ]?can help people reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission before, during, and after events.?These recommendations pertain to any event or gathering that brings together many people from different households in a private or public space (e.g., sporting events, theater, concerts, weddings, funerals) and also include venues that regularly serve the public (e.g., museums, historical sites).

In general, the?more people?who interact, the?more closely?they interact, and?the longer those interactions occur, the greater the risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. This general principle of spread applies to all types of events.

Staying up to date with vaccination is the most important precaution a person can take.?For vaccine information, visit?About COVID-19 Vaccine [ [link removed] ].

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Hajj Travel Checklist

If you are traveling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year, check out our Hajj Travel Checklist [ [link removed] ] to find out what you can do before, during, and after travel to reduce your risk of COVID-19. Other languages are available at?Materials and Resources for COVID-19 Response: General prevention [ [link removed] ].

Remember to pack COVID-19 rapid tests, your COVID-19 vaccine card or an electronic record showing proof of your COVID-19 vaccine, high-quality masks for everyone traveling in your group, emergency contact information, and travel-size hand sanitizer.

Hajj Travel Checklist thumbnail [ [link removed] ]
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Guidance and Resources

*NEW:*


* Medications to Treat COVID-19 (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* Hajj Travel Checklist (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
*

Contact Us: COVID-19 Questions [ [link removed] ]

*UPDATED:*


* About COVID-19 Vaccine [ [link removed] ]
* Available COVID-19 Vaccines and Safety [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Vaccine Facts (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Should Know (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* Top Reasons to Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* How to hold your child during a vaccination (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Vaccine Providers [ [link removed] ]
* Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination [ [link removed] ]
* Preparing to Vaccinate Young Children: COVID-19 [ [link removed] ]
* Interim COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Guide (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Medications [ [link removed] ]
*

Where to Access Oral Antiviral Therapy in Minnesota [ [link removed] ]


* Recommendations for Attendees and Organizers of Events: COVID-19 [ [link removed] ]
* Case Investigation and Contact Tracing: COVID-19 [ [link removed] ]
* Schools and Child Care COVID-19 Best Practice Recommendations [ [link removed] ]
* Parent and Caregiver Information [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Testing in K-12 Schools and Child Care [ [link removed] ]
* BinaxNow OTC At-Home Testing Information (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Response Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
*

Minnesota Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) [ [link removed] ]


* Information for Organizations Requesting Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card [ [link removed] ]
* BinaxNOW Professional Testing Information (PDF) [ [link removed] ]?
* Information for Organizations Requesting Cue Rapid Molecular Tests [ [link removed] ]
* Cue Testing Information (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19 Guidance: Long-term Care Indoor Visitation for Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Settings (PDF) [ [link removed] ]
* COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 Test Reporting Requirements [ [link removed] ]
* Uploading Lab Results to MDH RePortal [ [link removed] ]

*NOTE:*?Look for an "Updated" date below guidance links on our website to know when the resource was last revised.




MDH COVID-19 Public Hotline

For questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, call:

1-833-431-2053

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To connect directly to a representative in American Sign Language, click the "ASL Now" button on Contact Us: COVID-19 Questions [ [link removed] ].




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