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Family Health Centers to open more vaccine clinics in San Diego's underserved cities

Vaccine site
Posted at 1:10 PM, Feb 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-08 16:12:06-05

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Nearly all the COVID-19 vaccine doses offered at a no-appointment site in Mt. Hope on Saturday were administered, and officials hope to offer more sites in underserved communities.

Saturday, a no-appointment vaccine distribution event was held by Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) at 823 Gateway Center Way in the Mt. Hope area. The event administered 974 of the 1,000 vaccine doses available, according to Anthony White, FHCSD Director of Community & Government Relations.

FHCSD says it will continue operating a vaccine clinic at the Mt. Hope location, though it will now require appointments, from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily.

RELATED: One day only: free, no appointment necessary vaccines for 65+ in San Diego

Organizers say they intend to open a site each week for the next several weeks so that by mid-March, FHCSD can have five to six sites in underserved communities.

"One of the things we wanted to do was decrease the barriers to getting in. You keep hearing things, especially in the 65 and older population. Maybe they’re not fluent in how to get online and make an appointment, continue to refresh, all the kinds of tricks maybe younger people know having been online their whole lives," said White told ABC 10News on Saturday.

White told ABC 10News that appointment-based locations were planned at the Logan Heights Family Health Center and El Cajon Family Health Center, and in City Heights, Chula Vista, North Park, and Hillcrest.