LAist relies on your reader support, not paywalls.
Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today during our fall member drive.
FEMA-Operated Vaccine Sites Will Close
The large vaccination site at Cal State LA is scheduled to start vaccinating eligible community members on Feb. 16, 2021. (Screenshot of Cal State L.A. video)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to stop operating two mass vaccination sites in California next month.
The announcement comes shortly before the state makes everyone 16-and-older eligible for a shot.
Dr. Paul Simon, L.A. County's Chief Science Officer, said that with vaccine eligibility expanding, there will be a need to replace the FEMA site at Cal State L.A. that's closing.
“There are plans underway to figure out the best way to preserve that pod, or we might break it into smaller community sites,” he said. “We in no way want to scale back vaccination infrastructure.”
The two FEMA-operated vaccine sites opened in L.A and Oakland in February for an eight-week pilot program. That program concludes on April 11.
During the final two weeks of operation the sites will switch to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires just one shot, so that people do not have to sign up for a second dose elsewhere.