Health care workers began receiving vaccinations at special sites established by the city and county of Los Angeles. (photo courtesy of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office)

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently opened Los Angeles’ first four vaccine points-of-dispensing sites – known as PODs – for health care workers, located at existing public testing sites. The city is also partnering with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to soon open additional locations for the region’s most vulnerable areas.

“Our city is determined to protect our remarkable medical professionals on the front lines, and that means delivering life-saving vaccines to the health care workers who spend every day saving our lives,” Garcetti said. “These vaccine PODs are only the beginning of our campaign to distribute COVID-19 vaccines safely and equitably to all Angelenos – part of our ongoing, comprehensive effort to stop the spread of this virus and eradicate this pandemic.”

The initial Vaccine PODs are being housed at existing city-run testing and flu vaccination sites in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in L.A., where Black and Latino families have been particularly affected by the pandemic and where test positivity rates have ranged from 23% to 31%. The locations include Lincoln Park in East Los Angeles, San Fernando Park in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, the Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles and at the Hansen Dam recreation area in Pacoima. The approach coincides with the city’s commitment to equity in its COVID-19 response, modeled after its data-driven approach to testing deployments, Garcetti said.

“We are very pleased that a vaccine points-of-dispensing for healthcare workers is being placed at Lincoln Park in my district,” added Councilmember Gil Cedillo, 1st District. “Health care workers have been at the frontline since the beginning of this pandemic and we are grateful the vaccine will be dispensed in one of hardest hit communities of color by COVID-19.”

Vaccine delivery is being led by the county, in partnership with the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Curative and Community Organized Relief Effort. Vaccination sites are currently available only to health care workers deemed by county public health leaders to be high and medium risk. Health care workers will be notified of opportunities to be vaccinated at these sites by LACDPH.

For information, visit coronavirus.lacity.org/testing.