COVID Vaccine: San Francisco Partners With Sutter Health at Bayview Mass Vaccination Site
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Officials in San Francisco on Tuesday announced a partnership with Sutter Health to operate the newly opened high-volume COVID vaccination site at the SF Market in the Bayview.
The site, the third high-volume vaccination center in San Francisco along with sites at City College of San Francisco and the Moscone Center, opened Monday at the SF Market in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood at 901 Rankin Street. According to the press release issued by the city, the site "advances San Francisco's efforts to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible."
Operations at the Moscone Center and San Francisco City College mass vaccination sites have been limited this week due to the current vaccine shortage.
"The vaccine supply coming to San Francisco's healthcare providers and the Department of Public Health is limited, inconsistent, and unpredictable, making vaccine roll out difficult and denying San Franciscans this potentially life-saving intervention," officials said in Sunday's announcement.
The Moscone Center site was shut down starting Monday for at least for a week. Officials said the CCSF site is scheduled to be shut down until Friday and then vaccinations will be limited to those needing second doses.
In accordance with current COVID vaccine eligibility in San Francisco, the SF Market location will initially offer vaccinations to people 65 and older and healthcare workers. Officials noted in the release that the initial doses given per day will be limited due to ongoing supply constraints, but the site is ready to expand rapidly once supply increases.
The new vaccination site will be staffed in partnership with Sutter Health. Officials note that the three high-volume sites in San Francisco serve anyone who meets their eligibility requirements regardless of health coverage, by appointment only, and are part of San Francisco's network of vaccination sites to facilitate the quick and efficient delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
"With this site at the SF Market, we're bringing access to the vaccine closer to people who live in the Bayview Hunters Point area and the southeast of the city," said Mayor London Breed. "Throughout this pandemic, we've made sure our City's response to COVID-19 is equitable, and we're continuing that work by locating vaccination sites in the communities that have been hit the hardest. Supply remains very limited right now, but we're making sure that we have the infrastructure in place throughout our city, and we're prepared to vaccinate at least 10,000 people per day once we start receiving more doses."
The mayor also posted about the newly opened site on her Twitter account.
Back in November of last year, city officials relocated the public health coronavirus test site from South Of Market to the same location at the SF Market in the Bayview to better serve the community.
The SF Market vaccination site will initially operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only. Due to the limited vaccine supply at this time, appointments for the first week of operations will be by invitation only. Once vaccine supply becomes more available, appointments and hours at SF Market will expand.
People 65 and older and healthcare workers can make an appointment regardless of their health coverage status or provider by going to SF.gov/getvaccinated and booking an appointment through Sutter's My Health Online portal. Those who do not have access to a computer can schedule an appointment through Sutter's call center at 844-987-6115.
