SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A vaccine shortage has again shutdown temporarily the Scripps Del Mar Fairgrounds vaccination super station due to the low number of COVID-19 vaccines that were delivered to Scripps health last week. Patients with appointments this week will be rescheduled.
But as one site closes, three more are opening. They are:
- The North Inland First United Methodist Church In Escondido.
- The Sherman Heights Community Center on Wednesdays only.
- The Mountain View Educational Cultural Complex.
"A great success story that is having its opening chapter today. This is an unusual partnership for us, and we’re very proud to work with the county in providing this important vaccination site south of the 8 freeway in southeast San Diego,” said Constance M. Carroll, Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District.
San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera called the new site a game-changer for vaccine accessibility.
"A person's zip code should not determine their access to healthcare,” Elo-Rivera said.
Despite limited vaccine supply, the county is optimistic.
"As you know, there are not a lot of vaccines at the moment. We do expect that this vaccine site will be able to ramp up to 1,000 vaccines a day,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Nora Vargas.
Vargas reinforced the reminder that California is expanding its vaccine eligibility to anyone 50 and over starting April 1st and anyone 16 and over on April 15. But how will the county be able to accommodate more people with less vaccines available?
"We are expecting the county's supply of the vaccine to be increasing shortly as well,” Vargas said.
The New Mountain View site at the ECC, or Educational Cultural Complex, becomes the second walk-up vaccination site in San Diego and is close to public transportation.
"Sits at the intersection of communities that have overwhelmingly borne the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis,’ said Elo-Rivera.
No appointment is necessary at this location.
"Our community members have expressed an anxiety about not being able to get the vaccine,” said San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe.
The county released how it's continuing to expand efforts to equitably distribute vaccines to populations who have suffered the worst outcomes from the pandemic and has set aside a certain number of appointments for those in impacted areas.
"We know that just this week, we were able to increase vaccines by 23 percent from the state, so it's looking good for our communities,” Vargas said.
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