Santa Clara County is launching COVID-19 vaccine pop-up sites in East San Jose and Gilroy, in an effort to reach the neighborhoods most affected 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 impacted by the virus – county officials released a new strategy on Thursday to vaccinate needy communities . Pop-up clinics will move between the two locations on a rotating basis.
“In Santa Clara County, we know that we have many ZIP codes that are greatly affected by COVID-19,” said Cindy Chavez, chairman of the county’s Board of Supervisors. “And it gives us the opportunity to go straight to the community, to 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 vaccines were being administered on Thursday. This place will be open on Thursdays and Fridays.
On Wednesdays, a vaccine clinic will open at Gilroy Senior Center.
Despite being responsible for a disproportionate share of infections in the county during the pandemic, only 4.1% of Santa Clara’s more than 400,000 qualified Latinx residents were vaccinated, health officials reported last week in a new panel that tracked the distribution of doses by race. About 8.7% of the county’s more than 620,000 White residents were vaccinated.
In Santa Clara, Latinos represent 51% of COVID-19 cases in the county and only 25% of the population; across the state, the group accounts for 55% of cases and about 39% of the population.
Similar discrepancies exist across the bay area and local leaders are looking for solutions.
Santa Clara County is employing a multifaceted approach in an attempt to vaccinate all who qualify. The county opened Levi’s Stadium on Tuesday as what will become California’s largest vaccination site. Health professionals go door to door to residents’ homes and businesses, asking them to be vaccinated.
The new pop-up sites will make it easier for people with limited access to transportation or technology, allowing them to walk to a site in their neighborhood, without having to make an appointment online. Patients can go to the vaccine site in the morning and get a bracelet, and they will be informed when they return for the injection. Registration takes place on a first-come, first-served basis and begins at 8 am in Gilroy and 8:30 am in San Jose.
Anyone aged 65 or over who lives in Santa Clara County qualifies, regardless of their insurance, health care provider or immigration status.
“If we want to recover from the pandemic, it starts right here, on the east side of San Jose,” said San Jose city councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco.
Residents can also visit www.sccFREEvax.org for more information or to make an appointment.
“When your time comes, get vaccinated to protect yourself and your community,” said Rocio Luna, deputy director of the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health. “If you’re 65 or older, now it’s your turn.”
Creating another option for people in the bay area, CVS on Thursday started offering bookings for COVID-19 photos at their local locations. The inoculations will start on Friday.
Qualified people – over 65 and health professionals – can make an appointment at CVS.com by calling 800-746-7287 or using the CVS Pharmacy app. People can make an appointment for the second dose at the same time as making the first dose.
BART said on Thursday that it would offer free rides to anyone returning home from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum vaccination site after receiving a COVID injection. Health workers are expected to start vaccinating people in the Colosseum parking lot on Tuesday. The Coliseum BART station staff will give anyone with a new vaccination card a free $ 7 ticket.
“After you take the picture, we will take you home,” wrote BART Board President Mark Foley in a press release. “BART is proud to help people get to and from their vaccination appointment and we congratulate the governor and the Biden-Harris administration for choosing a location that is easily accessible by public transport.
Editors Fiona Kelliher and Emily DeRuy contributed to this article.