Latest Mass Vaccination Site Opens at Eastridge Mall in East San Jose
Stanford Health Care and the County of Santa Clara are partnering to further expand access to vaccination for people in areas disproportionately affected by COVID-19 through a new mass vaccination clinic at Eastridge Mall in East San José.
The clinic at the Aloha Roller Rink, which opened today, is located in an area of the County that has seen some of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. This latest expansion is part of the County’s multi-pronged strategy to ensure equitable and robust access to vaccination in East San José and Gilroy. The clinic will open as a drop-in clinic with first-come first-served tickets provided to those who meet eligibility requirements. It will transition next week to a blend of appointments and drop-in availability. Starting Monday, the site will operate seven days a week, and will offer evening appointments. Capacity will ramp up to 2,000 vaccinations a day if the State allocates adequate vaccine to our region.
“Locating a mass vaccination site in East San José is how we will vaccinate our residents and workers who have been infected by COVID-19 in much higher numbers,” said County of Santa Clara Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “The County is proud to partner with Stanford Health Care to expand options that reduce barriers to vaccine access for our community.”
The site is being operated by Stanford Health Care in partnership with the County of Santa Clara, which is leasing the site from Aloha Roller Rink, a locally owned small business.
“Stanford Health Care is committed to serving communities throughout Santa Clara County,” said Dr. Niraj Sehgal, Chief Medical Officer at Stanford Health Care. “We are proud to partner with the County to help provide equitable access to the vaccine.”
The Aloha Roller Rink site brings additional capacity to East San José and will complement other large-scale vaccination sites operated by the County Health System, including the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Expo Hall in East San José, the County Service Center on Berger Drive in San José, Gilroy High School, Levi’s Stadium, and the Mountain View Community Center.
In addition to these sites, the County operates drop-in sites in East San José, Gilroy, and other locations, as well as Valley Health Center clinics throughout the county. Through these efforts as well as vocation-based sites for educators and mobile vaccination clinics for agricultural industry workers, the County is vaccinating up to 12,000 people each day.
The County has also undertaken numerous other efforts to ensure equity in the vaccine rollout. Community outreach workers in the field have scheduled more than 1,000 vaccine appointments over the past three days, and early data shows that those appointments are reaching communities most impacted by the pandemic. Data is being closely tracked to monitor and improve these efforts. The County also works closely with various community organizations on outreach.
“We have an expansive network of community partners, including organizations with deep ties to the community who are known and trusted,” said Rocio Luna, Deputy County Executive for the County of Santa Clara. “These groups are an essential component of reaching people who might not otherwise hear about their eligibility and options.”
As efforts increase to offer vaccinations to all eligible residents and workers, the main hurdle remains uncertainty around vaccine supply from the State. The County received less than the anticipated allotment this week, and the State has not offered an estimate of doses moving forward. All COVID-19 vaccine appointments available through the County Health System are currently fully booked, and due to a low allocation of vaccine from the State, no new appointments can be made available for the week of March 7th through March 13th. The County is working to ensure it can vaccinate all people who currently have appointments scheduled. The County Health System stands ready to expand appointment capacity as soon as the State provides additional vaccination supplies.
“We’re working hard get the vaccine to those who need it most,” said County Executive Dr. Jeffrey Smith. “Vaccines are the County’s number one priority right now; vaccines will save lives. But our primary challenge continues to be getting the vaccine supply we need to protect those at greatest risk.”
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