A new mass COVID-19 vaccination site is set to open Friday at Cal Poly Pomona and run seven days a week.
The new site in the university parking area will start by offering about 500 to 1,000 appointments in its first few days, then ramp up to eventually offer between 8,000 to 10,000 vaccinations daily.
But it all depends on vaccine availability, the university said in a news release.
Vaccines at Cal Poly Pomona will be provided by appointment only, through the state’s pilot My Turn website, which also helps Californians sign up for notifications to find out when they’re eligible to receive the shot. There were no available appointments as of 6 a.m. Friday.
The site is intended to prioritize vaccinating people 75 and older, but eligibility will expand as more vaccine becomes available, according to a news release from Kaiser Permanente, which is part of a consortium of health care providers offering the vaccine on the campus.
The university’s Parking Structure 2 will serve people without cars. That area is reachable by public transportation and those with appointments can just walk up to get their doses.
The new site is not run being run by the, according to Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. He said he believed it was operated by Kaiser Permanente.
Los Angeles County has already set up five large county vaccine distribution sites, including at Pomona’s Fairplex. That’s in addition to city-operated sites, hospitals and pharmacies working to vaccinate residents as they contend with scarce vaccine supplies.
The vaccine supply at the new site is not taking away from the county’s, according to Simon.
The addition of the Cal Poly Pomona vaccine location is hoped to improve access to the vaccine, especially for people who live and work in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys.
The new site will have 16 check-in stations and 48 vaccination stations, which could later be expanded.
More information on the site can be found here, and those without online access can call the CA COVID-19 Hotline for help at 1-833-422-4255.