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Long Beach Opens Vaccine Eligibility To People With Disabilities Ahead Of Schedule
Workers at a vaccine site in the parking lot of the Long Beach Convention Center direct drivers as they arrive for their vaccine appointments. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Starting today, Long Beach is offering COVID-19 vaccines to people with disabilities, a group that won't become eligible in the rest of California until Monday, March 15.
You can now get a shot if you're a Long Beach resident 16 or older with a medical condition or developmental disability that makes you more susceptible to COVID-19. Specifically folks who are deemed to be at the very highest risk for morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 as a direct result of one or more severe health conditions that are listed in the CDPH Provider Bulletin.
You don't need an appointment, but you do need to show up with documentation of your condition, such as a doctor's note or a disabled person's placard, along with proof of Long Beach residency. Those who qualify can line up for their first dose at the Long Beach Convenion Center, any day but Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All vaccines are administered free of charge.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia Tweeted about the change today:
Long Beach becomes one of first health jurisdictions today to start vaccinating residents with disabilities. We are grateful to the state for giving us ability to start this group early.
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) March 8, 2021
The city says it's also working on getting mobile clinics out to areas beyond downtown to vaccinate residents with disabilities.
Starting a week from today, the state of California is set to broaden eligibility to include this group and other vulnerable people. L.A. County's chief science officer is seeking further clarification on what specific health conditions qualify...
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Long Beach has it's own health department, and has been ahead of the rest of L.A. County in vaccinations. To date, 66% of the senior population in Long Beach has been vaccinated (and 16% of the total population).
READ MORE ABOUT VACCINATIONS IN SOCAL:
- Answers To Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions — Safety, Eligibility, Access, And Much More
- How To Schedule Your COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment In Southern California
- How To Get The Second Dose Of Vaccine — And Everything You Need To Know About It
- Long Beach Mistakenly Emailed Vaccine Appointments To Hundreds Of Non-Eligible Residents
- Food And Agriculture Workers Can Now Get Vaccinated In LA County
- FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson's One-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine
- Essential Workers In LA County Will Be Able To Make Vaccine Appointments As Soon As This Weekend
- Vaccine Line-Cutters Are Stealing Spots Meant For Residents Of Black And Latino Neighborhoods
- As Big Clinics Close Pending Vaccine Resupply, Some Small Clinics Remain Open
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