Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens in San Mateo County

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Starting Monday, San Mateo County began offering a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic for eligible health care workers and vulnerable residents.

The clinic was being held at the San Mateo County Event Center at 1346 Saratoga Drive in San Mateo.

San Mateo County began offering a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic for eligible health care workers and vulnerable residents on Jan 11, 2021 at the San Mateo County Event Center. (San Mateo County)

The clinic was using the Moderna vaccine which was being made available to workers and residents eligible under Phase 1A of the state's vaccine distribution guidelines. That phase includes the following groups: those at risk of COVID-19 through work at health care or long-term care settings (including non-clinical staff), and residents of nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and long-term care settings for older or vulnerable individuals. 

San Mateo County's Board of Supervisors president David Canepa announced the mass vaccination clinic in a statement Monday. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time and shows that the dark days of winter will be over soon," Canepa said. People interested in being vaccinated at the drive-thru site must complete an online form to confirm eligibility.

Registration and appointment information will be available once eligibility is confirmed. The clinic will open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday then from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

There are approximately 38,000 health care workers and 12,000 long-term care residents in the county. Bill Silverfarb, policy advisor to Canepa, said approximately 12,000 people have been vaccinated from the county's vaccine allocation of 22,000 so far. That did not include workers within medical systems like Kaiser Permanente or Sutter Health, which have separate vaccine allocations. Silverfarb said the clinic is expected to continue as long as there were vaccine doses available.

The second vaccination dose will be available in four weeks via a similar clinic. People in Phase 1A who have health plans through Kaiser Permanente may obtain the vaccine through their primary care provider at Kaiser.

San Mateo County said vaccinations are being offered to those in Phase 1a, who are currently providing in-person patient care/services and who live or work in the county.Click here for more information on Phase 1A vaccine eligibility. For the eligibility attestation form, click here. 

KTVU contributed to this report.