Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Biden administration announced the opening on Feb. 16 of the nation’s first state-federal community vaccination site in Los Angeles, as well as another site in Oakland.

The pilot sites at California State University, Los Angeles and the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum opened as part of the larger effort to establish a series of vaccination sites nationwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“These new sites will help us get lifesaving vaccines to some of the California communities most in need,” Newsom said. “I thank the Biden-Harris administration for standing with us as we continue our efforts to safely, swiftly and equitably vaccinate all Californians.”

Members of the public can check their eligibility for vaccination, sign up for notifications and schedule appointments through the My Turn website at myturn.ca.gov. Registration for vaccine appointments and information is also available by calling (833)422-4255. Currently, only health care workers, emergency responders and those over the age of 65 are eligible for vaccinations. By registering, people can receive notification when vaccines become more widely available and they become eligible for vaccination..

The new sites are operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. FEMA and the U.S. Department of Defense are providing resources and federal staffing and operational support. The two locations were chosen because they are located in some of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in the country, officials said. The goal is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection receive vaccinations. 

Two mobile clinics also opened this week at each vaccination site. They can be deployed to multiple locations in the communities to increase distribution in areas that otherwise lack sufficient support.

Newsom stressed that the opening of the new sites adds to current vaccination capacity in the state and does not affect existing allocation of vaccine supplies to cities or counties. On Feb.11, FEMA allocated $823 million to open 104 COVID-19 vaccination sites statewide. For information, visit myturn.ca.gov and covid19.ca.gov.