City will administer COVID-19 vaccine
(Feb. 2, 2021) In a key development that will expand access to the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine, Mayor Todd Gloria announced today that the City of San Diego has been authorized to receive shipments of doses and administer them to eligible residents.
“Increased access to vaccines is great news for the people of San Diego,” Mayor Gloria said. “Having the authority to set up our own vaccination sites will allow us to create more equitable access for residents and more nimbly get our residents vaccinated and our economy back on track.”
This week, the City received an initial shipment of 1,200 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and today, in Balboa Park Municipal Gym, City paramedics who have been trained to administer the vaccine began providing doses to government workers throughout the region who are eligible according to state and county guidelines, including those 65 and older.
Members of the public should not come to the site. The City will announce expanded access to vaccinations subject to eligibility and availability.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to deliver this vaccine to eligible employees,” said Fire Chief Colin Stowell. “As the largest city in our region, we can lessen the burden at the County vaccination sites. We have more than 70 paramedics trained to give the vaccine, and soon, emergency medical technicians will also be trained.”
Mayor Gloria is actively exploring additional city-owned locations across San Diego as potential City-operated vaccination sites when vaccines become more widely available.
On Wednesday, 100 doses will be administered to eligible residents experiencing homelessness and sheltering at the San Diego Convention Center as part of the Operation Shelter to Home program.
Going forward, the number of doses delivered directly to the City will depend on vaccine availability.