Consortium adds vaccination hubs in Bakersfield and Stockton

OAKLAND, Calif., March 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A consortium of California health care organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, is adding 2 new mass vaccination sites to a joint effort aimed at expanding access to COVID-19 vaccine throughout the state, especially in communities that have been hard-hit by the pandemic.

The new sites at California State University, Bakersfield and the Stockton Arena were chosen because surrounding communities have some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection in the state and also are among the lowest in vaccination rates. The CSUB site will begin providing vaccinations on March 26 and the Stockton Arena site will begin on March 30. The 2 new mass vaccination hubs each have the capacity to administer up to 5,400 doses per day.

The consortium's first mass vaccination hubs — at Cal Poly Pomona in Los Angeles County and at Moscone Center in San Francisco — have administered more than 290,000 doses of vaccine to the general public and populations served by the consortium partners since opening in early February.

The hubs complement a variety of vaccination venues operated or supported by each of the consortium partners, including hospitals, urgent care facilities, medical office buildings, pop-up neighborhood clinics, and mobile vaccination units. Many of these efforts are being done in partnership with local governments and community-based organizations to ensure service to vulnerable and underrepresented populations.

The consortium, initiated by Kaiser Permanente, includes Adventist Health, Dignity Health, the California Medical Association, the California Primary Care Association, and Futuro Health. In addition, the American Red Cross is providing its expertise on mass site planning.

Along with supporting expanded vaccine access, all of the consortium partners are committed to increasing vaccine confidence through public health messaging and partnerships with community and faith-based organizations.

Supply for the mass vaccination sites is coordinated in partnership with the state of California and Blue Shield of California, the state's third-party administrator supporting California's vaccine efforts, to ensure available vaccine is distributed equitably, with the greatest impact for communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infection and death.

Making appointments at the mass vaccination hubs

The hubs offer vaccinations by appointment only, 7 days a week. The number of available appointments at each site is highly dependent on the available supply of vaccine.

Appointments at the mass vaccination hubs can be scheduled at California's My Turn vaccine scheduling website, myturn.ca.gov. Appointments for the new hubs at CSUB and the Stockton Arena will be available approximately 48 hours before the first day of operation. Individuals seeking appointments through My Turn are screened for eligibility under the California Department of Public Health's vaccine administration guidelines.        

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

CONTACT: Marc Brown, Kaiser Permanente, Marc.T.Brown@kp.org

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente