Riverside County Administers 2 Millionth Dose Of COVID Vaccine

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — More than 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Riverside County, it was announced Friday.

The mark was achieved when a father and son went to the Moreno Valley Mall vaccination clinic to each get a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Julian Menendez, 17, of Moreno Valley, represented the 2 millionth dose, while his father, Rolando Menendez, 46, became recipient number 2,000,001, according to county officials.

“We want to take care of our family, but we have other families to take care of too,” said Rolando Menendez, also of Moreno Valley. “We are a community that needs to stick together. The more people who get the vaccine, the less people will get sick. Plus, we have lost relatives over the virus. This (vaccine) is our responsibility.”

The younger Menendez is a senior at Canyon Springs High School and will start his college career this fall at Cal State University, San Bernardino. He's studying kinesiology.

The 2-million milestone came less than two months after the 1 millionth COVID-19 dose was administered in Riverside County, according to officials. COVID-19 vaccination in Riverside County began in December.

New coronavirus cases have continued to slow in the county as vaccinations have increased.

“Seeing our case rates decline as our vaccination rates increase has been welcome relief in this unprecedented pandemic,” said Riverside County Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari. “We share credit for this impressive milestone with our many community partners, healthcare provider and community-based organizations who have worked tirelessly alongside our county team to protect the community.”

The effort to provide vaccinations continues countywide, with pharmacies, businesses and pop-up clinics offering the shots free of charge. Additionally, homebound residents can now arrange to get vaccinated by visiting https://myturn.ca.gov/ or by calling 833-422-4255.

“Today’s milestone brings us one step closer to emerging from this pandemic stronger, healthier, together,” said Board Chair Karen Spiegel, Riverside County Second District Supervisor. “We are seeing the effects from these vaccinations every week in our improved COVID-19 numbers. It’s encouraging to kick off summer with such positive data that clearly indicates the region is moving through recovery.”

Thursday it was announced California is offering a chance to win $116.5 million in prizes to all vaccinated residents in an effort to sway people who are reluctant to get the shot. The winners will be chosen June 15, the day California is set to fully reopen the economy.

According to Riverside University Health System data posted Friday, 39.3 percent of all county residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Riverside County is lagging behind the state. According to figures updated Thursday by the state's Department of Public Health, 50.5 percent of Californians 12 and older are fully vaccinated.

The county's coronavirus cases continue to decrease. The number of COVID-19 patients under intensive care in Riverside County has fallen to six — the lowest number in more than a year.

According to the RUHS, 39 people countywide were hospitalized with coronavirus on Friday.

RUHS reported 70 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the total number of COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 to 300,701.

A total of 4,608 deaths from virus-related complications have been recorded in the last 14 months, the same figure reported over the last three days.