Minnesota shutting down Mall of America COVID vaccination site

The state Health Department said Wednesday that it would shut down the COVID vaccination clinic at the Mall of America, which in just under two years administered over 236,000 shots.

Other locations can be found on the state of Minnesota's vaccine page or vaccines.gov.

"We are extremely grateful for all of the partners, staff, and contractors who have worked to make the Mall of America site a cornerstone of Minnesota's comprehensive response to COVID-19," Jan Malcolm, who is soon wrapping up her tenure as Gov. Tim Walz's commissioner of the Department of Health, said in remarks released by the agency.

Malcolm said the vaccination site at the Bloomington megamall, along with other key vaccination centers, "provided vital vaccination access to Minnesotans of all ages over the last couple of years." Its last day of operation will be Friday.

The site opened in February 2021. Appointments will continue to be available through Friday, and walk-ins will be welcomed during normal business hours of 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Department of Health noted in its release that COVID-19 vaccines continue to be widely available through health systems, pharmacies and local public health and community organizations across the state of Minnesota "as the COVID-19 emergency response work transitions back to regular health care and public health operations."

While nearly two-thirds of Minnesotans 5 and older had at least one COVID vaccine shot by late October, there's been considerably less demand for variant-specific boosters. COVID case numbers in Minnesota rose between November and December but declined slightly in mid-December.

The closure of the mall site is another sign that the state's fight to contain COVID has shifted to a new phase. Malcolm's own decision to step down, announced shortly after Walz was re-elected in November, was another. Walz appointed Brooke Cunningham, a current assistant commissioner, to replace Malcolm starting early next year.