Another South Bay COVID-19 Vaccine Site Opens In East San Jose

SAN JOSE, CA — Santa Clara County public health officials announced a new COVID-19 vaccination center in East San Jose that will provide a few hundred shots a day, focusing on communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

The East Valley Clinic will serve as the latest vaccination hub, joining the Emmanuel Baptist Church in East San Jose. The four zip codes with the highest number of COVID-19 cases are located in East San Jose, which has a large immigrant population.

In a sign of the county’s effort to reach those groups, Friday’s press briefing in front of the East Valley Clinic on McKee Road began in Spanish.

“We are really deeply committed to realize the goal of achieving this parity in vaccine access across our diverse communities,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee.

Nearly 177,000 first doses have been administered through the county’s health system and nearly 60,000 appointments are scheduled for the next week. Eighteen percent of residents age 16 or older have received a dose so far.

While supply of the vaccine is still not meeting the demand, county officials expressed optimism that with a third vaccine on the horizon from Johnson & Johnson, the bottleneck issues will soon be resolved.

“In the next week, we’re not able to realize our full capacity for first dose appointments due to the low current inventory,” said Dr. Sabrina Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. “That is the most significant development that Johnson & Johnson can bring. It’s one dose and has less intense cold chain storage requirements. It gives us more flexibility to reach the highest risk communities who might have more difficulty being reached for their second dose.”

Beginning on Sunday, those working in education and childcare, along with emergency responders and workers in food and agriculture will be eligible for the vaccine in Santa Clara County.

Those eligible can sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine here.