FDA Approval of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine As of Aug. 23, 2021, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for full Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure for vaccination of people 16 years and older. An FDA-approved vaccine means that it went through FDA's standard process for reviewing the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medical products. For all vaccines, the FDA looks at data and information included in the vaccine manufacturer's a biologics license application (BLA). A BLA is a document that is submitted to FDA to get a product approved. Pfizer's BLA added on to the study data they had submitted before for an emergency use authorization (EUA). FDA reviewed all of this new information to make sure the vaccine met their standards for approval. The FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine is the same formulation as the vaccine used under an EUA. Learn more at FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine. People age 12-15 years and people with immunocompromising conditions needing an additional dose can still get a Pfizer vaccine under an EUA. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are also available under an EUA for people age 18 years and older. All available vaccines are safe and effective. Minnesotans can Find Vaccine Locations and sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies near them. If you are looking for a specific vaccine product, you can sort by product at Vaccines.gov or at Minnesota: Find a Vaccination Clinic. COVID-19 Community Testing Updates Minnesotans can walk-in or make an appointment at the following community testing sites. All community testing sites will be closed Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day.  - Bloomington: Former DMV (opens 8/30)
- Brooklyn Park: Starlite Center
- Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
- Mankato Armory (New location opens 9/1)
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport
- Moorhead: Former Thomas Edison Elementary School
- St. Cloud Armory (New location opens 9/2)
- St. Paul: Roy Wilkins Auditorium (opens 8/31; no testing 9/5)
- Winona Mall
Find details or make an appointment at COVID-19 Community Testing Sites. Minnesotans can also take advantage of the state's no-cost COVID-19 Test at Home program and drive through or walk in at most local Walgreens or CVS locations. | COVID-19 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership COVID-19 Stories of Community Outreach and Partnership highlight the efforts of our staff in collaboration with community partners during the COVID-19 response. Some stories provide insight into how this work is done, others discuss what challenges our teams face, but all of them recognize how COVID-19 has pushed MDH to try new strategies so we can fulfill our mission of protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of all Minnesotans. Uniting Against COVID-19: A Unique Public Housing Collaboration for Vaccinating Community As soon as COVID-19 vaccines were available in Minnesota, the Minneapolis Health Department partnered with Minnesota Public Housing Authority, Volunteers of America, Minnesota Department of Health, and COVID Community Coordinators — community-based organizations contracted by MDH to connect Minnesota's diverse communities to COVID testing, vaccination, and other resources – to bring COVID-19 vaccines to 39 high-rise apartment complexes.  Residents were notified beforehand that staff would be door-knocking, answering vaccination questions in the community room, and offering vaccination events in the apartment complex. Holding diverse intersectional identities across race, gender, sexuality, and disability status, the Volunteers of America staff and COVID Community Coordinators were able to provide appropriate language support and be trusted liaisons to the residents using their expertise on community norms and approaching all residents with cultural and religious sensitivity. With everyone's combined efforts, 1,627 residents and staff were vaccinated and 93% of residents who were vaccinated came back for their second dose. The vaccination events would not have been successful without the combination of strengths brought by each partnering organization's care for the community. Read more: Uniting Against COVID-19: A Unique Public Housing Collaboration for Vaccinating Community | Guidance and Resources NEW: UPDATED: NOTE: Look for an "Updated" date below guidance links on our website to know when the resource was last revised. | 
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