Vaccine-seekers being turned away as available slots at Cal State LA swiftly fill up – Daily News

Hundreds of people lined up early on Thursday, April 8th at a mass vaccination site in Los Angeles, California. By the morning, site managers had kept people away because of the surge, after rumors spread that COVID-19 shots were available without reservation. It devoured the available dose.
The Governor’s Emergency Services Department said Wednesday that many appointments for the One Shot Johnson & Johnson Vaccine were no longer filled with federally operated sites, resulting in a walk-up shot of people over the age of 18. Was intended to provide criteria between Thursday and Sunday.
“To the extent that appointments aren’t met, the number of appointments available as a walk-up for individuals over the age of 18 from tomorrow (Thursday) to Sunday until site management moves to the city may be limited,” Brian said. Ferguson, a spokesman for the Emergency Services Department, told CBS2. “By giving field vaccinations the flexibility to fill open reservations, we can increase vaccination rates in California in an efficient, effective and equitable way.”
In response to the invitation, people began to line up on the scene hours before the store opened at 9 am. At first it seemed to be going well, but by 10 am people were turning their backs.
One told KNX Newsradio that the surge in demand had filled all available slots.He said he was instructed to try to make an appointment using the state myturn.ca.gov website..
It was unclear why there were too many reservations, especially as local public health officials expected the most intense demand to date as eligibility expanded.
The partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Governor’s Office to operate the site will end on Sunday, and the City of Los Angeles will take over control of the site on Monday.
To date, the East LA Site and related mobile vaccination clinics have given more than 313,000 doses. By the time the federal / state partnership ends on Sunday at the site and between mobile clinics on Saturday, it is sufficient to reach the goal of 350,000 doses.
In contrast to sites operated by local counties and their associated vaccine networks, the California State University site (and Oakland’s sister site) obtained vaccine batches directly from the federal government. The county’s PODS and network get quotas from the state, and states get quotas from the federal government. Vaccines following that supply line were sporadic and difficult to plan.
The California State University location opened in February as an eight-week pilot project. It demonstrated a collaborative effort between the state and the federal government to target low-income areas that were hit hard by the pandemic. A team of more than 200 soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado, has been deployed to Southern California to assist in the establishment and staffing of the complex.
Over 68% of doses are given to people in poorly serviced and at-risk communities. Over 650,000 doses were distributed in California between the two sites.
The site was scheduled to close on April 11, but LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said his city would take over on April 12.
City News Service contributed to this report
Vaccine-seekers being turned away as available slots at Cal State LA swiftly fill up – Daily News Source link Vaccine-seekers being turned away as available slots at Cal State LA swiftly fill up – Daily News