Oakland Coliseum, Moscone Center mass vaccination sites to close
(Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Coliseum and Moscone Center mass vaccination sites are set to close before the end of this month amid a push to expand community-based sites at local stores and pharmacies.
The Coliseum site will close on May 23. The Moscone Center in San Francisco will close on May 28.
To date, 500,000 people were vaccinated at the Coliseum and more than 300,000 in the last three months in San Francisco, according to health officials.
However, in recent weeks, public requests for first dose appointments at the Coliseum site have dropped from 4,000 a day to 400 a day, Alameda County officials said.
"This marks an important milestone for our community," Colleen Chawla, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency director, said in a statement.
A total of 76 percent of Alameda County residents have received at least one vaccination at this point, officials said, and 46 percent are fully vaccinated. In San Francisco, 72 percent have received their first dose, and 49 percent are fully vaccinated.
But still, there are those who haven't gotten vaccinated at all.
And Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said he hopes that vaccine sites will now move to where they are needed most.
"We met the initial mass demand for vaccines with incredible speed and the involvement of every sector of our community," he said in a statement. "We must move deeper into communities where residents may have barriers preventing access to mass vaccination sites."
Vaccines are available directly through health care providers, at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, throughout the Bay Area.
In Alameda County, there are also sites at the Buchanan parking lot at Golden Gate Fields and the Alameda County Fairgrounds, as well as community sites like those at Fremont High School in the Fruitvale and Hayward Adult School, serving Ashland, Cherryland and Hayward Acres. There are other smaller sites in San Francisco as well.
Alameda County residents that have not received a vaccination are encouraged to call 510-208-4VAX (510- 208-4829) or visit bit.ly/AlCoSignUpeoc-pio@acgov.org