TRITON Magazine Spring 2021 | Page 9

ASSIGNMENT

MOVING THE NEEDLE

UC San Diego Health leads the way in vaccine delivery .

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO ’ S PETCO PARK once drew thousands to cheer in the stands , but for several months this year , it was where the COVID-19 vaccine helped thousands get on their way again .
A collaboration with the County of San Diego , the San Diego Padres and the City of San Diego , the PETCO Park Vaccination Super Station was the region ’ s first vaccination super station , administered by UC San Diego Health . From January 11 to March 20 , the drivethrough and walk-up site served more than 130,000 members of the San Diego community and provided a national model for other vaccination super sites .
“ We are grateful to the many staff members , students and volunteers who have given their time to help so many San Diegans get vaccinated ,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K . Khosla .
“ UC San Diego is an integral part of our San Diego community . Our role as a public research university and the region ’ s only academic medical center put us in a unique position to lead during this pandemic . Our vaccination super stations are making our community safer .”
On February 8 , UC San Diego opened an additional COVID-19 vaccination site on campus at the Recreation , Intramural and Athletic Complex ( RIMAC ). The site serves vaccination-eligible UC San Diego employees , students and patients , as well as members of the community .
The RIMAC site can provide up to 5,000 vaccinations daily , seven days a week , depending on supply . Vaccinations are administered by appointment only .
As of April 1 , more than 41,000 people had received doses of the vaccine at the RIMAC site . In early March , UC San Diego Health began deploying mobile vaccine clinics to support equitable , widespread deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to local communities as well . Altogether , between super stations and hospitals and clinics around the county , UC San Diego Health has delivered approximately 20 percent of all vaccines in San Diego County .
For more information , visit : health . ucsd . edu / covid-vaccine
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