COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Please note: COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available at this time. We expect these appointments to fill quickly.
There may be additional appointments released throughout the week as some appointments are rescheduled or canceled and we receive additional vaccine.
M Health Fairview is currently giving COVID-19 vaccines only to paid and unpaid healthcare workers who are unable to work remotely, people age 50 and older, people with certain conditions or disabilities as described in Phase 1B Tier 4 of the state's plan, and people who are members of specific racial or ethnic groups that have experienced disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infection during the pandemic. Due to national vaccine supply shortage, we are not yet vaccinating essential workers listed in those tiers. To find out if you meet the criteria to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, please complete our eligibility screener and scheduler. For more information on what to expect at your vaccine appointment, please read the FAQs below.
COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Efforts
The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing persistent health inequities for communities of color and Indigenous communities and is exacerbating Minnesota’s racial disparities. Learn more about our efforts to make vaccinations accessible, affordable, and available within a trusted space with appropriate language and cultural considerations.
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs
On Tuesday, April 13, M Health Fairview paused distribution of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine at all of our sites based on recently issued recommendations from the CDC and the FDA regarding the risk of blood clotting in women following vaccination.
If you have scheduled a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at a site administering the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, we will call you to offer you a rescheduled appointment time for a vaccine from another manufacturer.
We have every indication that the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine is safe, and we consider the risk to patients to be extremely small. If you have experienced concerning symptoms after receiving the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, please go to an emergency department, call 911, or reach out to your primary care provider.
The CDC is meeting this week to review new evidence regarding the vaccine. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine can be stored without expiring, and we will hold the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine doses that we have as we wait for additional guidance from the FDA and the CDC.
If you meet the eligibility guidelines listed above, please visit our COVID-19 Resource Hub to answer our screening questions, log into MyChart, check appointment availability, and schedule an appointment. COVID-19 vaccine appointments are only available at select M Health Fairview locations across the statewide, and you may need to travel to a different clinic than the one you typically visit. Click here for a map of our vaccination locations, or read more.
Yes, we require an appointment in order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Please do not come to a M Health Fairview clinic for the COVID-19 vaccine without an appointment. To find out if you meet the criteria to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, please complete our eligibility screener and scheduler.
To help your appointment go more quickly, please do the following:
- To help your appointment go more quickly, please do the following:
- Wear a short-sleeved shirt for ease of receiving the vaccine.
- Wear a mask and maintain a social distance of six feet from others when possible at your appointment. Only those getting a vaccine should come to the appointment.
- After receiving the vaccination, you will be asked to wait nearby for a 15-minute observation period to monitor you for immediate adverse reactions. If you have a history of allergic reactions to a vaccine, you will be asked to wait nearby for a 30-minute observation period. Our vaccinators are prepared to respond to adverse reactions during the observation time. They will have access to EpiPens and guidance on how to care for individuals experiencing reactions.
- If you are pregnant, lactating (nursing) or have a weak immune system, review special details about the vaccine on the CDC website.
- If you have questions, be sure to ask your regular care team before you arrive.
- After each dose of vaccine, we’ll check on you through an online platform called GetWell Loop. If you have questions about this platform, please read About GetWell Loop: Frequently Asked Questions.
- Please also review the Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization, Moderna Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization, or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Emergency Use Authorization for more details about the vaccines.
- The vaccines do not provide immediate immunity. Though all three vaccines are highly effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalization and death, it takes time for your body’s immune system to build defenses after you receive your full dose of the vaccine. We do not know what to expect in the next six months to two years. The level of immunity you have after getting the vaccine may fade over longer periods of time, but we do not yet know if additional, later doses of the any of the vaccines will be necessary to maintain your protection.
- You need two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, while the Janssen (John & Johnson) vaccine only requires a single dose. You must get the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine 21 days after the first dose, and the second dose of the Moderna vaccine 28 days after the first. If you are receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines,you will be scheduled for the second dose during your first vaccination appointment.
- These vaccines are not interchangeable. For example, you should not mix a first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with a second dose of the Moderna vaccine. If you received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during your first appointment, then you should also get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during your second dose so that the vaccine is fully effective.
If the person you bring does not have a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, they will not receive a vaccination.
Due to the high demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, these appointments fill quickly. Health systems across the state and nation are also affected by limited vaccine supplies. Updated information about our COVID-19 vaccine appointment availability will always be posted on our COVID-19 Resource Hub. It can also be found by accessing the scheduling function through your MyChart account.
Hundreds of years of systemic and individual racism has led to significant health inequities for communities of color and Indigenous groups. The COVID-19 pandemic has made those already existing racial disparities even worse.
Communities of color and indigenous groups have experienced disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infection and death during the pandemic. A range of factors – including barriers to healthcare, economic instability, and a higher rate of chronic health conditions have made these communities more susceptible to the pandemic. To relieve this burden and better protect the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, we are prioritizing vaccinations for people who identify as one or more of the following groups: Black/African, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian, and Latinx/Hispanic.
The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech,Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) are all safe and highly effective at preventing severe cases of COVID-19, hospitalization, and death due to the disease, according to results from three large clinical trials that together involved more than 100,000 people. Read more.
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines do not use live or weakened versions of the coronavirus causing COVID-19. Instead, these vaccines have genetic material called mRNA or “messenger RNA” that is taken from the virus. Both vaccines come in two doses. People receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will need a second dose 21 days after the first, while those who get the Moderna vaccine will need a booster 28 days later. Read more.
The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine comes in a single dose and uses a “vector vaccine” method. Vector vaccines use another weakened virus – in this case, it’s an adenovirus called Ad26 – to deliver genetic material that tricks your body into making a protein which stimulates your body’s immune response. Read more.
All three authorized vaccines are very effective at preventing severe cases of COVID-19, hospitalization, and death. If you qualify, you should get the first vaccine offered to you – no matter which vaccine it is – to better protect yourself and accelerate the end of the pandemic.
During the clinical trials, only mild to moderate flu-like side effects were reported, including a headache, fatigue, chills, fever, and muscle and joint soreness. Side effects are more likely to occur after the second dose. Most of these symptoms ended three days after the vaccine, or earlier. Read more.
It is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccines. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use only genetic material from the coronavirus causing COVID-19 while the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine delivers that genetic material using a weakened adenovirus (Ad26). Read more.
The Pfizer/BioNTECH and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are not fully effective unless you receive both doses. The first dose of the vaccine triggers your immune system response and the second dose completes the process so that you have the best-possible protection. The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine only requires a single dose for full effectiveness.
While we have made some progress in the fight against COVID-19 with public health measures like masking and social distancing, widespread vaccination is the only way that we can stop the pandemic. Not only does getting the vaccine protect you against COVID-19, it also reduces the chances that you will spread it to others, including your family and friends. Read more.
Yes. People who have tested positive for COVID-19 produce antibodies that offer some protection against the virus, but we don’t know enough yet about antibody protection and how long it may last, so we recommend that everyone get the vaccine.
Yes. Everyone should wear face masks, wash their hands frequently, practice social distancing, and take other safety steps until more people have received the vaccine, the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide is no longer at pandemic levels, and we understand more about how long these vaccines will protect us. Read more.