L.A. to expand mobile vaccination clinics in areas hardest hit by coronavirus

Registered Nurse Ebony Thomas (L) administers a Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Stella Onwytalu, 89, at Kedren Community Health Center, in South Central Los Angeles, California on February 16, 2021. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Feb 19, 2021 / 02:39 PM PST

Updated: Feb 19, 2021 / 02:39 PM PST

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The city of Los Angeles is expanding the number of mobile vaccination clinics in communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday.

The city will increase to 10 its number of so-called mobile equity sites: vehicles that go into high-density, low-income communities, staffed to provide vaccinations, Garcetti said. The goal is to have all 10 in the field by the end of March, the city said in a news release.

“We’re seeing still disproportionately low vaccination rates among many of our Black and Latino populations and communities, a reflection not only of historic distrust and community trauma, but also the structural barriers that stand between too many Angelenos and their access to vaccines,” Garcetti said Thursday at a news briefing. “We need to tear those barriers down.”

The announcement comes after data released earlier in the month by Los Angeles County showed that Black, Latino and Native American residents 65 and over were receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at a lower rate than their white, Asian American and Pacific Islander counterparts. The report showed that 17% of white, 18% of Asian and 29% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents 65 and over had received at least one dose, compared with only 14% of Latino, 9% of Native American and 7% of Black residents 65 and older.

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