LOS ANGELES (CNS) — A COVID-19 vaccination site opened Tuesday at Union Station in an effort to equitably distribute vaccines and inoculate hard-to- reach communities with low vaccination rates.
The clinic will be open Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the Union Station East Portal, which can be reached by taking the escalator to the top of the east portal, which faces the Patsaouras Bus Plaza.
The site will offer all three vaccines, with the Pfizer one available to anyone 12 years old or older. Minors will need a parent or guardian with them in order to receive a dose, according to LA Metro. The Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are available to people 18 years old and over.
Noting that the station is a "transit hub, not just for Los Angeles County but for all of Southern California," Garcetti said the station had 110,000 travelers pass through each day before the pandemic.
"You can easily get your vaccine here at Union Station. You can get to this site on Metro's B and L, formerly known as Red and Gold rail lines, the J (Silver) Bus Rapid Transit Line, one of the many Metro Foothill Transit and other bus lines, Metrolink and Amtrak. You can come here from another city, even another state, we'll give you the vaccine," Garcetti said.
"This is one of the easiest places you can come to, it's literally on your way to work or on your way home," he added.
The Los Angeles Fire Department, in partnership with CORE, will operate the site, and people can walk up without making an appointment. Those who want to plan ahead can make an appointment at carbonhealth.com/covid-19- vaccines/los-angeles.
Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said the vaccination site will bring "peace of mind" to its riders and neighbors and reinforce "how Metro is part of the fabric of the community in which we operate."
"We cannot overstate the importance of equity in all we do, whether it's providing essential transit services or access to vaccinations. Communities of color, older adults, and other underserved communities have borne a disproportionate burden of the effects of the pandemic, both from an economic standpoint and from a health standpoint. It doesn't have to be this way," she said.
On Monday, the Los Angeles-based medical diagnostic testing service Total Testing Solutions announced it set up three vaccination sites at LA Metro stations to help inoculate areas with low vaccination rates.
Through that program, people can get a free Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Crenshaw Station on the C Line; the Del Amo Station on the A Line; and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center on the J Line. Vaccines are available from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays without an appointment, but people can also make an appointment at totaltestingsolutions.com.