Santa Clara County is launching COVID-19 vaccination pop-up sites in East San Jose and Gilroy in an effort to reach the most affected neighborhoods by the virus.
Following a revelation last week that eligible Latinx residents were receiving the vaccine at a lower rate than other groups – despite being disproportionately affected by the virus – county officials on Thursday unveiled a new vaccination strategy for disadvantaged communities. Pop-up clinics will move between the two rotating locations.
“In Santa Clara County, we know we have a lot of zip codes that are hugely impacted by COVID-19,” said Cindy Chavez, chairman of the county’s supervisory board. “And this gives us the opportunity to come directly to the community, even in the neighborhoods and to be able to be present where people need our services.”
She spoke in front of a county public health office on Story Road in East San Jose, where shots were fired on Thursday. The location will be open on Thursday and Friday.
On Wednesday, a vaccine clinic will open at the Gilroy Center for the Elderly.
Despite a disproportionate proportion of infections in the county during the pandemic, only 4.1% of Santax’s more than 400,000 qualified Latinx residents were vaccinated, health officials said in a new statement last week. on-board tracking of dose delivery on the fly. Approximately 8.7% of the over 620,000 white residents of the county were vaccinated.
In Santa Clara, Latinos represent 51% of COVID-19 cases in the county and only 25% of the population; at the state level, the group represents 55% of cases and approximately 39% of the population.
Similar discrepancies exist throughout the Gulf area, and local leaders are looking for solutions.
Santa Clara County uses a multi-pronged approach in trying to vaccinate everyone who is eligible. The county opened Levi Stadium on Tuesday as what will become California’s largest vaccination site. Healthcare workers go from door to door to residents’ homes and businesses, urging them to get vaccinated.
The new pop-up sites will make it easier for people with limited access to transportation or technology, allowing them to go to a site in their neighborhood without having to make an online appointment. Patients can come to the vaccination site in the morning and pick up a bracelet and be told when to return for the shot. Check-in is first come, first served and starts at 8 am in Gilroy and at 8:30 am in San Jose.
Anyone 65 years of age or older who lives in Santa Clara County is eligible, regardless of insurance, health care provider, or immigration status.
“If we want to cure the pandemic, it starts right here in the eastern part of San Jose,” said San Jose councilor Magdalena Carrasco.
Residents can also visit www.sccFREEvax.org for more information or to make an appointment.
“When it’s your turn, please get vaccinated to protect yourself and your community,” said Rocio Luna, deputy director of the Department of Public Health in Santa Clara County. “If you’re 65 and older, now it’s your turn.”
Creating another option for people in the Bay Area, CVS began offering COVID-19 photo appointments on Thursday at its local locations. Inoculations will begin on Friday.
Eligible individuals – those over the age of 65 and health care workers – can book an appointment at CVS.com by calling 800-746-7287 or through the CVS Pharmacy app. People can book an appointment for the second dose at the same time as they book their first shot.
BART said Thursday it will offer free rides to anyone returning home from the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum County inoculation site after receiving a COVID shot. Health workers will begin vaccinating people in the Coliseum parking lot on Tuesday. Staff at BART Coliseum Station will give anyone with a new immunization card a free $ 7 ticket.
“Once you get the shot, we’ll take you home,” BART Chairman Mark Foley wrote in a press release. “BART is proud to help people get to and from their immunization program, and we applaud Governor and the Biden-Harris administration for selecting a location that is easily accessible by transit.”
Employee writers Fiona Kelliher and Emily DeRuy contributed to this article.