Santa Clara County is launching pop-up COVID-19 vaccine sites in East San Jose and Gilroy, in an effort to reach neighborhoods hardest hit by the virus.
Following a revelation last week that eligible Latinx residents were receiving the vaccine at a lower dose than other groups, despite being excessively affected by the virus, provincial officials on Thursday unveiled a new strategy to help communities in service te ent. The pop-up clinics will move between the two locations on a rotating basis.
“In Santa Clara County, we know we have a lot of zip codes that are greatly affected by COVID-19,” said Cindy Chavez, president of the County Board of Supervisors. “And it gives us the opportunity to get right into the community, right into the neighborhoods and be able to be present where people need our services.”
She was speaking in front of a public health office in Story Road in East San Jose, where shots were fired Thursday. The place will be open on Thursdays and Fridays.
On Wednesdays, a vaccination clinic in the Gilroy Senior Center will be open.
Despite the fact that an excessive proportion of the country’s infections are responsible for the entire pandemic, only 4.1% of Santa Clara’s more than 400,000 eligible Latinx residents have been vaccinated, health officials said in a new dashboard last week reported what dose per race followed. About 8.7% of the province’s more than 620,000 White residents have been vaccinated.
In Santa Clara, Latinos make up 51% of COVID-19 cases in the country and only 25% of the population; across the country, the group is responsible for 55% of cases and about 39% of the population.
Similar differences exist across the Bay and local leaders are looking for solutions.
Santa Clara County uses a multiple approach in an effort to vaccinate everyone who qualifies. The province opened Levi’s Stadium on Tuesday as the largest vaccination site in California. Health workers go from house to house to residents and businesses and request them to be vaccinated.
The new pop-up sites will make it easier for people with limited access to transportation or technology by allowing them to walk to a site in their area without having to make an appointment online. Patients can come to the vaccination site in the morning and pick up a wristband, and they will be told when to return for their shot. Registration is a first-one spot, and it starts at 8 a.m. in Gilroy and at 8:30 a.m. in San Jose.
Everyone 65 and older living in Santa Clara County is eligible, regardless of their insurance, health care provider, or immigration status.
“If we want to recover from the pandemic, it’s starting here on the east side of San Jose,” said San Jose councilor Magdalena Carrasco.
Residents can also visit www.sccFREEvax.org for more information or to make an appointment.
“If it’s your turn, please get vaccinated to protect you and your community,” said Rocio Luna, deputy director of the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health. “If you’re 65 or older, now’s your turn.”
With the creation of another option for people in the Bay, CVS on Thursday began offering appointments for COVID-19 shots at its local locations. Vaccinations begin Friday.
Qualifying individuals – over the age of 65 and health professionals – can book an appointment at CVS.com by calling 800-746-7287 or via the CVS Pharmacy app. People can book an appointment for their second dose while booking their first admission.
BART said Thursday it will offer free rides to anyone returning from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum vaccination site after receiving a COVID shot. Health workers will vaccinate people in the Coliseum car park on Tuesday. Staff at Coliseum BART Station will be giving away a $ 7 ticket to everyone with a new vaccination card.
“After you get the chance, we’ll get your house,” BART President Mark Foley wrote in a news release. “BART is proud to help people get to and from their vaccination, and we applaud the governor and the Biden-Harris administration for choosing a place that is easily accessible by transportation.”
Staff Writers Fiona Kelliher and Emily DeRuy contributed to this article.