Santa Clara County is launching COVID-19 vaccine sites east of San Jose and Gilroy, in an effort to reach the neighborhoods most affected by the virus.
Following last week’s revelation that eligible Latinx residents were receiving the vaccine at a slower rate than other groups, despite being disproportionately impacted by the virus, county officials unveiled a new vaccination strategy on Thursday. poorly served communities. Emerging 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 hugely impacted by COVID-19,” said Cindy Chavez, chair of the county’s Board of Supervisors. “And that gives us the opportunity to go directly into the community, the neighborhoods and be able to be present where people need our services.”
He spoke in front of a county public health office on Story Road, east of San Jose, where shots were fired Thursday. This location will be open on Thursdays and Fridays.
A vaccine clinic will open on Wednesday at the Gilroy Center for the Elderly.
Despite accounting for a disproportionate proportion of county infections throughout the pandemic, only 4.1% of Santa Clara’s more than 400,000 qualified Latinx residents have been vaccinated, health officials reported last week in a new dose delivery monitoring board by race. About 8.7% of the county’s more than 620,000 white residents have been vaccinated.
In Santa Clara, Latinos account for 51% of COVID-19 cases in the county and only 25% of the population; statewide, the group accounts for 55% of cases and approximately 39% of the population.
There are similar discrepancies across the bay area and local leaders are looking for solutions.
Santa Clara County uses a multidisciplinary approach in an attempt to vaccinate everyone who is eligible. The county opened Levi’s Stadium on Tuesday as it will become California’s largest vaccination site. Health workers go door-to-door to residents ’homes and businesses, and urge them to get vaccinated.
The new emerging sites will make it easier for people with limited access to transportation or technology, as they will allow them to go to a place in their neighborhood without having to make an online appointment. Patients can arrive at the vaccine site in the morning and grab a wristband, and will be told when to shoot again. Registration is ordered for the first time and begins and begins at 8 a.m. in Gilroy and 8:30 a.m. in San Jose.
Anyone 65 years of age or older who lives 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 starts right here on the east side of San Jose,” San Jose Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco said.
Residents can also visit www.sccFREEvax.org for more information or to make an appointment.
“When it’s your turn, 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 began Thursday offering appointments for COVID-19 shots at its local locations. Inoculations will begin on Friday.
Eligible individuals (over the age of 65 and health care workers) can request an appointment at CVS.com by calling 800-746-7287 or through the CVS Pharmacy app. People can book an appointment for their second dose at the same time they take the first dose.
BART said Thursday it would offer free travel to anyone returning home from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum inoculation site after receiving a COVID shot. Health workers will begin vaccinating people in the Coliseum parking lot on Tuesday. Coliseum BART Station staff will deliver a free $ 7 ticket to anyone with a new immunization card.
“After receiving the shot, we will take you home,” BART board chairman Mark Foley wrote in a press release. “BART is proud to help people get to and from the vaccination appointment and we applaud the Governor and the Biden-Harris Administration for selecting an easily accessible location on public transportation.”
Staff writers Fiona Kelliher and Emily DeRuy contributed to this article.