Nearly 2,000 people were vaccinated at the site at Soka University in Aliso Viejo. It opened its doors less than two weeks after the province’s first major premises opened at Disneyland.
The Disneyland site is outside, but vaccines at Soka University are being administered in the campus gym. Residents can use the province’s Othena app or website to make an appointment for any website.
Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said one of the benefits of Soka University is its convenience for seniors in the area, such as residents of the Laguna Woods Village retirement community. Officials in the province provide vaccines for the elderly aged 65 and over because it is one of the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
The vaccination app for OC is being upgraded after experiencing thousands of technical issues
The province plans to open more sites as soon as more vaccines become available.
Despite the launch of the new website, vaccine provision remains a major obstacle for many counties in Southern California. The Orange County Health Agency says they are constantly asking for more doses from the state.
Those who were able to get an appointment at the Aliso Viejo site said they were grateful for the reopening, including one woman who managed to get appointments for both her parents.
“I am just so relieved because of everything that has happened around the world and just seeing all the people in the hospitals without their relatives. I was so worried about my family, but I am so relieved,” Fatima Mougammadou said.
She added that the process on the new website was very organized.
Even with the shortage of vaccines, provincial officials say they believe they are on track to get everyone in Orange County vaccinated by the fourth of July.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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