COVID-19 vaccines start arriving in Minnesota The first doses of the vaccine could be administered to Minnesotans later this week. Author: Dec 14, 2020 Gov. Tim Walz looks on as the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Minnesota Monday morning. Credit: Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune The first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine started arriving in Minnesota Monday morning as the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history gets underway. The federal Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Distribution of the vaccines began Sunday, with doses of the vaccine going to 636 predetermined locations across the U.S., Army Gen. Gustave F. Perna said during a news conference on Saturday.