California OES, FEMA to close Oakland Coliseum mass vaccination site on April 11
OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 25: Vehicles wait in line in observation lanes at the Oakland Coliseum vaccination site on Thursday, March 25, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. The Coliseum vaccination site is only scheduled to be open for eight weeks, which means it wil
OAKLAND, Calif - The mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum will close on Sunday, April 11, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services announced Friday.
Through a partnership between Cal OES and FEMA, the vaccination site will end the 8-week operation after having administered more than 7,500 shots per day, outpacing the initial expectation.
Cal OES says that out of all those vaccinated at the site, nearly 67% of doses went to underserved communities and people of color.
"In the fight against COVID-19, equity is key. This pilot program has shown the rest of the nation a forward-leaning way to serve our communities most in need," said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci. "We could not be more pleased with the success of these sites or the partnership we have built with our federal partners."
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"This partnership has been a tremendous success and shows what can happen when all levels of government come together to meet a challenge that has affected this state, the nation and the world," said FEMA Region 9 Acting Administrator Tammy Littrell. "Beyond just providing vaccinations, this effort is helping to reopen schools, businesses and communities."
Despite the positive reviews by officials, there were concerns about the reliability of the vaccination effort at the Coliseum. KTVU revealed that thousands of patients vaccinated there received undersized doses because of a flaw with the syringes used. Then, in an attempt to notify patients of the mistake, officials created a new round of confusion by sending apology letters to people who had not bee vaccinated at the Coliseum.
Officials say that while the site will close, they are working with local government leaders to explore possibly reusing the site to continue administering doses.
Additionally, community vaccination centers in the state will transition to providing the Johnson & Johnson vaccines on April 1.
Vaccine appointments at the two Community Vaccination Centers will be released daily beginning on April 1 and made available to eligible individuals through visiting the state’s MyTurn website or by calling 833-422-4255.
Members of the public may check their eligibility for vaccination, sign up for notifications and schedule appointments in select areas through the site.