By Paul Medina
East Los Angeles College is currently the host site to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Last May, ELAC began a partnership with LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis to become a COVID-19 swab test site. The purpose was to provide access to COVID testing to a marginalized community of color.
Since then, it has become a dual vaccine and testing site. Such partnership was created through the LA County Department of Public Health and California Department of Public Health.
ELAC President Alberto Roman praised the vaccination site at ELAC. “Events like these are critical, they are timely and important to ensure that members of the community get vaccinated,” Roman said.
The site is located at the P3 parking structure, which is accessible off Avenida Cesar Chavez. Contrary to some misinformation, the vaccine testing site is open to others even if they are not ELAC students, and vaccines are not administered every day.
The site holds partnerships with various organizations, among them Center for Family Health & Education (CFHE), Northeast Community Clinics (NECC) and Via Care, each which administer different versions of the vaccine.
The site began operation on March 17 and occasionally hosts appointments to anyone who meets the criteria. Per California guidelines, currently anyone over age of 16 is available to take the vaccine.
At the March 1 distribution, Daniel Sanchez of Anaheim said he drove all the way to Monterey Park to take the vaccine and said, “The process went smooth as I expected. Not too fast, not too slow. It was good.”
The vaccination site is ideal as it is a walk-up site and easy accessible off the street by public transportation. It is American with Disability Acts accessible, provides plenty of free parking, and bilingual staff in various languages are also available.
Roman went on to say, “It is important for us to partner with Northeast Community Clinics who has a history of serving underserved communities of color.”
The vaccine is free and is open to everyone regardless of lack of insurance or factors such as immigration status.