A “large-scale” vaccination site opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain on Tuesday as public health officials work to expand the county’s capacity for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
On Tuesday, a “large-scale” distribution center for the COVID-19 vaccine opened in the parking lot of Six Flags Magic Mountain.
“Today is our first day, we’re expecting to open today at 10 a.m. and begin vaccinations for 2,400 people,” said Marco Rodriguez, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “We’re hoping to ramp up vaccinations to up to 4,000 a day.”
Six Flags Magic Mountain is one of five sites chosen by public health officials for their regional accessibility and their ability to handle large capacities of people. The complete list of the sites are:
- Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
- The Forum, 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90305
- California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge, CA 91330
- L.A. County Office of Education, 12830 Columbia Way, Downey, CA 90242
- Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91355
“In L.A. County, we have to vaccinate 10 million people, twice,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement issued Friday. “These large-scale vaccination sites are going to help us get there by massively increasing our capacity to vaccinate people quickly and efficiently.”
Officials say that L.A. County aims to complete 500,000 free-of-charge vaccinations among healthcare workers by the end of January.
Currently, only prioritized groups such as frontline healthcare workers, residents and staff in nursing facilities, and other long-term care facilities are eligible for vaccination, as identified by the state and the Centers for Disease Control.
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Eligible healthcare workers must have qualifying verification documents, including a healthcare worker badge with a photo, a professional license and a photo ID, a signed letter from an employer and a photo ID, or a payment stub from a healthcare provider with a name and photo ID. Residents who are ineligible at this time should not attempt to register for an appointment, as it may take away time slots from the first round of qualifiers.
“By vaccinating those at the highest risk as soon as possible, we have an opportunity to stabilize our healthcare system, prevent people from being hospitalized from COVID-19, and most importantly, save lives,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, in a statement Friday.
Additionally, an executive order signed by L.A. County Board of Supervisor Chair Hilda Solis on Monday is set to allow all county residents aged 65 and older to obtain the vaccine as well.
“The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been an enormous undertaking, especially during an unprecedented surge where cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to skyrocket,” Solis said in a statement Monday. “However, if we are to ever get out of this dark winter, it is critical that we make headway vaccinating people 65 years of age and older as soon as possible – in line with Governor Gavin Newsom’s recommendations.”
While appointments for the vaccine can be made online, Rodriguez urged residents to only make an appointment if they were in an eligible tier.
“If you are not qualified (…) and decide to make an appointment, you’ll be taking a space from somebody who actually needs it, and will be turned away,” he said. “We want to make sure that we get the people that are at the most risk first.”
To make an appointment, click here.
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