COVID-19 Vaccination Site Opens At Union Station
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A COVID-19 vaccination site opened Tuesday at Union Station in an effort to distribute vaccines in hard-to-reach communities.
The clinic will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Union Station East Portal.
The site will offer Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Pfizer is available to anyone 12 or older while Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are available for people 18 and over.
Mayor Eric 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 site, operated by the Los Angeles Fire Department, in partnership with CORE, will offer walk-up vaccines. Those who want to make an appointment can do so here.
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.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)