California has made the COVID-19 vaccine available to everyone 16 and older as of April 15 and is ramping up distribution statewide.
Previously, only those 50 or older were eligible, as well as younger residents with certain health conditions and disabilities or who work in health care, food, agriculture, education, child care and emergency services sectors. Eligibility had expanded as vaccine supplies increased.
Nearly half of all residents 16 and older had already received at least one vaccine dose by April 15, including nearly 74% of those aged 65 and older, according to state officials.
Californians can sign up to get their shots using MyTurn, the state-run vaccination appointment website, or through their health care provider, or county or city appointment websites.
Vaccines are being administered at pop-up clinics, pharmacies, health care provider officers, and city – and county-run sites, most of which require appointments be made by registering online. Find out more about the process in Southern California counties by clicking the following:
CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Costco, Walmart and Ralphs pharmacies have their own websites for vaccine appointments.
Currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for people ages 16 and 17. The other two vaccines being used in the United States, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are available to those 18 and older.
People must bring an ID document with them to get vaccinated. When getting the second dose, residents also have to bring their vaccination card with them.
MyTurn lets users book dates for both the first and second dose at the same time.
KTLA digital staff has stopped updating this post as of April 15, the day all adults became eligible for the vaccine in all counties. Check county websites for updates.
Los Angeles County
Those eligible in L.A. County can get an appointment using any of the following:
- Going to the county’s website here
- Calling 833-540-0473 if not able to sign up online
- Trying the state’s MyTurn site
- Going to the city of L.A.’s online portal
- Skipping straight to the websites of Albertsons, Rite Aid, Pavilions and Ralphs pharmacies.
As of April 15 on the county’s website, residents were able to click “look for an appointment” to be able to see all the locations vaccinating residents, including health care providers. The county was using MyTurn to schedule appointments at its mass vaccine sites.
On the city of Los Angeles website, run by Carbon Health, residents can book appointments at the large city-operated sites, including Dodger Stadium, Cal State L.A. and USC. When there are no available slots, the page displays a yellow alert banner at the top notifying users that all appointments are fully booked.
More on eligibility and distribution is on L.A. County’s website here.
Long Beach
Long Beach, which has its own public health department, initially launched its own VaxLB online portal for people to sign up for appointments and receive notifications when it’s their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The city transitioned to MyTurn in March.
The city started inoculating residents ages 16 and up on April 8, a week ahead of the state’s timeline.
The city sometimes announces walk-up vaccination events that don’t require appointments, so keep an eye on Long Beach’s Twitter account.
More information about how to sign up for a vaccine appointment in Long Beach is available here.
Pasadena
Pasadena also has its own health department and has also started using to MyTurn to schedule vaccine appointments.
Orange County
As of April 15, Orange County residents were able to make an appointment on the state’s MyTurn website or on Othena, the county website.
On the county website, residents are first prompted to answer a few questions, then click the blue “register” button. They are then redirected to a page that lets them enter their information.
After completing the sign-up process, residents are placed in a virtual “waiting room.” They later receive a text message or email notifying them when they can sign up for an appointment at county sites, including Disneyland and Soka University.
It can take around 24 hours to get the message to sign up.
Those with questions can call 714-834-2000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday. Otherwise, here’s a video tutorial on how to use the website.
Riverside County
Riverside County expanded vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older on April 6, nine days before the state’s major eligibility expansion.
Anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and they must get the Pfizer vaccine, the only one approved for use in their age group.
As of April 15, residents were able to sign up for an appointment at a county or city-operated clinic online.
To find appointments, click the orange “first & second dose appointments” button the website. That will load a list of locations with slots available. Clicking the “appointments” button next to any of the locations will take users to a page with all time slots, and they’ll be able to scroll through to find what’s available to book.
Seniors who need help making an appointment can call 800-510-2020 or 211.
Riverside County residents can also sign up to get their shots at Albertsons Pharmacy, Apple Urgent Care, Walgreens, Ralphs Pharmacy and others listed here.
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County expanded vaccine eligibility to residents age 16 and older on April 6, more than a week ahead of its previously planned date of April 15.
Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and they must get the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only approved in the U.S. for their age group.
As of April 15, those who live and work in the county were able to visit the county site to make an appointment. The same link can also be used for appointments at state-operated sites, mobile clinics, hospitals and pharmacies.
Each listed location displays a link underneath that residents can follow to pick an available slot before filling in their personal information, including health insurance details, and booking an appointment.
The county website automatically loads San Bernardino County public health sites, but the menu beneath the orange “appointments” label on the left side of the website has links to appointments at pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and the state-run locations in Bloomington and Yucaipa.
Ventura County
As of April 15, the county was using MyTurn to help all residents 16 and older sign up for vaccine appointments at the county sites.
Vaccine appointments can be made for those who call 805-477-7161, but the line is intended only for people without access to the internet.
On the county’s website, you must scroll to the bottom of the page and select whether you’re looking to get your first or second dose. You will be redirected to a page that lists several different vaccine locations that require appointments through MyTurn.
The page has a description of the vaccine sites, including what type of vaccine is offered and whether they’re being operated as drive-thrus or indoor locations.