M Health Fairview MINI program kicks off 20th season with new back-to-school vaccine partnership
As families across Minnesota prepare for a new school year, one important item deserves a spot on every back-to-school health checklist: making sure kids are up to date on their vaccinations. Routine childhood immunizations protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, while also helping keep classrooms, families, and communities safe.
But in recent years, vaccination rates in Minnesota have dropped. State data show that MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine coverage for kindergartners fell to about 87% in 2024–2025. That’s well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity against measles—a disease that can spread quickly in schools and other group settings.
Making vaccines accessible: A school-based clinic
To help address these declines and support families, M Health Fairview teamed up with Roseville Area Schools to host an immunization clinic through its Minnesota Immunization and Networking Initiative (MINI) to bring a back-to-school immunization clinic directly to students.
At this onsite clinic during the elementary school’s open house, students received routine childhood vaccinations at no direct cost to their families. By hosting the clinic in a trusted school setting, MINI and the district are removing barriers like transportation, scheduling, and cost, making it easier for parents to keep their children protected and ready to learn.
Our MINI team will also provide vaccines for high school students in the Roseville school district later this fall.
“Parents already have so much to juggle at the start of the school year,” said Ingrid Johansen, RN, director of community clinical care at M Health Fairview. “By bringing vaccines directly to schools, we’re helping families check one more thing off the list while keeping kids safe and healthy.”
Celebrating 20 seasons of MINI
This clinic also marks a milestone for the Fairview MINI program. This year marks the 20th season that the program has partnered with community organizations to bring preventative services like flu shots, dental fluoride varnish, blood pressure checks, opioid overdose prevention training and naloxone kits and now back-to-school immunizations into trusted locations. From churches to libraries to neighborhood centers, MINI reaches families where they live, learn, work, and gather, while removing barriers and building trust in healthcare.
In 2024, MINI partnered with 250+ community organizations to host clinics. Our team provided 5,525 free COVID-19 vaccine doses, 6,190 free flu shots, and 1,246 free Mpox vaccines at 451 vaccination events. 72% of vaccination participants who chose to share personal information identified as a person of color, and 35% indicated a language other than English as their preferred language.
“Behind these numbers are individuals receiving care they might not otherwise have access to,” said Johansen. “It’s an honor to work for an organization that believes in providing equitable care for all.”
In addition to its new partnership with Roseville Area Schools, MINI is proud to continue its partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools to provide flu vaccines to staff and families this fall. In addition, our team will bring flu clinics to dozens of school events across the Twin Cities this fall, making it easier for families to stay healthy this season.
Why vaccines matter more than ever
Vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to keep kids healthy and in school. Diseases like measles, pertussis (whooping cough), and chickenpox were once common childhood illnesses but are now largely preventable thanks to routine immunizations.