Five large COVID-19 vaccination sites will open in Los Angeles County next week as public health officials accelerate preparations for an expected increase in demand, following the expansion of the vaccination list for residents 65 years and older.
The sites are Pomona Fairplex, the Forum in Inglewood, Calridge Northridge, LA County Office of Education in Downey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.
The openings come at an important time. Although residents aged 65 and older are now on the priority list for vaccines, they cannot even receive the shots until the province has vaccinated 500,000 health workers for the first time. Officials hope to reach the goal by the end of the month.
“In LA County, we have to vaccinate 10 million people twice,” said supervisor Janice Hahn. “These large-scale vaccination sites are going to help us get there by greatly increasing our ability to vaccinate people quickly and efficiently.”
It is expected that 4,000 people will be vaccinated per day. Agreements and proof of employment in the health industry are needed to get the chance, the country said. The five sites are expected to be open for at least four weeks. They are offered separately from the Dodger Stadium vaccine.
Uncertainty exists over whether the country will receive adequate doses to meet its goals.
“We are not done with our health workers yet,” Barbara Ferrer, director of public health in LA County, said Wednesday, adding that the province has asked the state for more doses. “We have not yet heard from the state about the availability of vaccines and how they will be distributed.”
The need for more vaccine is repeated in other provinces. To date, the state has received more than 2.9 million vaccine doses and administered less than one-third.