COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program Frequently Asked Questions

• The locations listed on the Vaccine Locator map are administering doses to people aged 65 and older. However, not all providers are offering appointments to people in all priority groups. Please contact providers to confirm vaccination location and hours, that they have vaccine doses and appointments available, and that you are eligible for vaccination at that site.

• All vaccinations are by appointment only, and each provider manages its own schedules and appointments. 

If you would like to contact your provider to seek a vaccine, please feel free to do so. You can find contact information for providers near you with our Vaccine Locator map.

No. The Vaccine Locator map shows locations where vaccine is available to people aged 65 and older around the state. Please contact these providers directly to schedule an appointment and follow their instructions.

No. Some vaccination clinics may ask for medical insurance information for reimbursement purposes. If you do not have insurance, you can still get vaccinated.

Yes. If you are 65+ and pre-registered during the first two weeks of the pilot program, you will remain on the list and be eligible to be randomly selected for a vaccine appointment in the future. The list will not be used for appointments outside of the state’s community vaccination sites at this time.

• If you are randomly selected to receive a vaccine at a state-run community vaccination site, you will be notified by text, email, or landline phone call with instructions on how to make your appointments for both your first and second doses of vaccine.

• Emails will arrive from mnvaccineteam@updates.vaulthealth.com. You will receive a unique access code that will be required to schedule your appointment at a community vaccination clinic. (Be sure to keep an eye on your spam folder.)

• Phone calls will arrive from 954-716-7771. If you do not have access to text or email, please be certain to answer your landline phone. The reservationist will only try twice.

• Appointments are required to receive a vaccine. Please do not visit a community vaccination site unless you have an appointment. If you do not receive a confirmation that you have an appointment, you do not have an appointment.

If you only have a landline, you will be contacted by a landline. Phone calls will arrive from 954-716-7771.

This is not a scam. Primary Bio and Vault Health are both state vaccination partners working to support the vaccine effort in Minnesota. 

• Name
• Minnesota address
• Phone number
• Email (optional)
• Gender/race/ethnicity
• Date of birth 
• Health information, including underlying conditions, current illnesses, and allergies.

• You will receive two confirmation emails – one for each appointment – including the date, time, and location. 

• If you only have a landline, you will receive a call on your landline. Phone calls will arrive from 954-716-7771.

• If you do not receive confirmation that you have an appointment, you do not have an appointment.

Yes. You will make appointments for both your first and second dose at the same time. 

Rescheduling is not available at this time.

No, you cannot transfer your appointment to someone else. If you are selected and can’t use your appointment, someone else will be randomly selected for that spot.

No, you will remain on the community vaccination pre-registration list. 

• Insurance is not required but you are encouraged to bring your insurance card, if you have insurance. Participants are asked for their health insurance information so the state can bill their insurance company on their behalf. But if you are uninsured, or for any reason insurance does not cover some or all of the cost of your vaccine, the state will cover the difference. Vaccination remains available at no-cost to everyone.  

• If you are an educator or child care worker, you will need to show an employee ID or license number.

• If you need assistance from another person or service animal, they are more than welcome to accompany you to your appointment. This includes aides, translators, and others.

• If you do not need assistance, a friend or family member may come to the location with you, but they will not be allowed to join you through the vaccination process. They will need to wait for you outside the vaccination area. 

• DO NOT PAY YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY OR THE VACCINE PROVIDER FOR YOUR COVID-19 VACCINE—THERE IS NO COST TO YOU FOR THE VACCINE.

• All costs for this vaccine are covered by your insurance company or the federal or state government. Insurance companies may send you an Explanation of Benefits or “EOB” showing the difference between the billed cost of this COVID-19 vaccine and what they have paid. It may even say that a portion is “patient responsibility.” This is simply for your information. It is NOT a bill, and you do not need to pay anything. The vaccination vendor accepts what your insurance pays as full payment.

• If you receive a bill, do not pay it. Call the Minnesota Department of Commerce at 651-539-1600 or 1-800-657-3602 to file an insurance complaint.

You are encouraged to schedule your second dose at the same location as your first dose.

While the Minnesota National Guard will be providing logistical assistance at some locations, they are not a security presence. The Minnesota National Guard has been providing support to COVID-19 operations for months by providing staffing support and COVID-19 testing in long-term care facilities, and partnering on many of our COVID-19 community testing sites.

Yes, there will be security on site to provide for the safety of Minnesotans who have appointments to receive their vaccine.

No. There will be no open registration period this week, but there will be opportunities to register in the future. Minnesotans who have pre-registered will be able to receive appointments at the state-run community vaccination sites via random selection.

New pre-registrations are not being accepted at this time. Check back soon for future opportunities.

You must have a Minnesota address to pre-register. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen.

Everyone who has pre-registered will be automatically eligible for the chance to be randomly selected for an appointment this week or in the coming weeks. You do not need to do anything to pre-register again. If selected, you will need to follow the instructions to make your appointment.

No, each person can only sign up once. The registration system will not allow for duplicate entries.

• You can pre-register for online if they are a dependent. You will need to provide their name, age, and contact information.
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• You cannot pre-register for someone else over the phone.

You may pre-register more than one eligible person online, but only those who are randomly selected to receive the vaccine will be able to make an appointment.

• If you have a chance to get vaccinated somewhere else, you can do that.

• We are not able to take you off the pre-registration list, but if you are selected for an appointment, please let us know you no longer need it so we can offer the spot to someone else. 

• Contact the call center at 833-431-2053 to report that you no longer need the appointment slot. 

• People may call our call center in any language.

• Call center staff speak Somali, Spanish, Hmong, and other languages.

• If a caller speaks a language not spoken by call center employees, the call center will use a language line for assistance.

There is currently a limited number of doses in Minnesota. We are requiring appointments to avoid lines and ensure the health, safety, and security of Minnesotans receiving their vaccines. We must allow space in the community vaccination sites for social distancing and for patients to wait after their shots for required observation periods. 

There are many more Minnesotans who want a vaccine than the number of doses we have available. We thank you for your patience.

While there were many considerations at hand, the state chose sites that were large enough to adhere to social distancing, that had space for patients to wait after their shots for required observation periods, and had enough parking.

• Use the Vaccine Locator map to search for other options in your area, but please note that they also have limited doses. Appointments are not guaranteed.   

• Please do your best to coordinate with family, friends, or neighbors for transportation while adhering to social distancing, mask-wearing and other COVID-19 safety guidelines.

• We know the demand for vaccine far outpaces supply at this time. As vaccine supply from the federal government catches up with demand, additional COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program sites my launch.

• It is also important to remember that these community vaccination sites are just one part of the multi-pronged approach that will allow all Minnesotans access to vaccine. When more vaccine is available, pharmacies and existing health care providers will continue to play a critical role.

• We are also strategically partnering with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) - some of which are located in Minneapolis and St. Paul – to administer vaccine to their existing patients 65 years of age and older. FQHCs are contacting their established 65+ patients to assist them in making appointments as they receive vaccine doses each week.

• Yes, Minnesotans aged 65 and over should contact their provider to see if they are able to get a vaccine through clinics in their communities. The Vaccine Locator map shows where vaccine may be available in your area this week and how to contact the clinic for an appointment.

• Health care systems are already getting the vast majority of vaccine doses right now, and they will always play a critical role in immunizing Minnesotans. More than 1,200 pharmacies, clinics, and other partners have already registered to provide vaccine. The more vaccine supply the federal government provides, the more vaccine they will have to administer.

• Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have also been allocated a limited number of vaccine doses to give their existing patients who are 65 or older. FQHCs are contacting their established patients to assist them in making appointments. 

Yes, there will be opportunities to register in the future. Minnesotans who are registered will be able to make appointments at the state-run community vaccination sites via a random selection process. 

New registration opportunities will be available in the future. Visit the COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program page to stay up to date.

You must have a Minnesota address to register. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen.

No. Everyone who is registered will continue to have a chance to be randomly selected for an appointment in the future. You do not need to do anything to register again. If selected, you will need to follow the instructions to make your appointment.

No, each person may only sign up once.

• Yes, you can assist someone with registration. You will need to provide their name, age, and contact information. 

You may register more than one eligible person online, but only those who are randomly selected to receive the vaccine will be able to make an appointment.

• If you have a chance to get vaccinated somewhere else, the state encourages you to do so.

• We are not able to take you off the registration list at this time, but if you are selected for an appointment, please let us know you no longer need it so we can offer the spot to someone else. 

• You may contact our call center using any language. Their number is 833-431-2053.

• Call center staff speak Somali, Spanish, Hmong, and other languages.