East Palo Alto To Open COVID-19 Community Vaccination Site

EAST PALO ALTO, CA — East Palo Alto will open a community COVID-19 vaccination site at the Ravenswood Family Health Center next week as part of an effort to ensure that essential workers and those hit hardest by the pandemic have access to vaccines.

On Wednesday, California adjusted its vaccine distribution strategy to ensure that 40 percent of vaccine doses are given to those in the state’s most disadvantaged areas.

Despite having the most COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents in the county for cities with a population over 1,500 — 1 in 6 residents have tested positive — East Palo Alto has the lowest rate of vaccination in San Mateo County. As of Thursday, just over 12 percent of its 29,000 residents had been vaccinated, while neighboring Atherton had vaccinated more than 48 percent of its residents. No other city in the county has vaccinated less than 20 percent of its residents.

“Reaching difficult to access low-income communities of color like EPA is a daunting challenge but it is imperative if we want to realize a truly equitable distribution of the vaccine,” East Palo Alto Mayor Carlos Romero said in a news release on Thursday.

Earlier this week, San Mateo County officials, including State Senator Josh Becker, held a news briefing in front of Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School. Becker vowed to improve the situation for a community that houses many essential workers.

"This community has been on the front lines and provided the human capital to allow those of us who have the privilege of working from home to do so," Becker said. "They have stood with us during our darkest hours, and they must be treated like the priority that they are."

According to a news release, the county and East Palo Alto will be providing outreach services to help eligible residents sign up. Ravenswood is also planning to hold a second vaccination event for Menlo Park residents in the Belle Haven neighborhood.

The goal, according to the announcement, is to hold weekly vaccination events if supply holds up.

“This is a seismic shift in the delivery model,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Warren Slocum in a news release. “Instead of asking our residents to come to sites that are convenient for us, we are bringing the vaccine to sites convenient for them.”

The East Palo Alto city council will hold a study session on vaccines on Thursday. For more information, visit this link. Click here for more information on signing up for a COVID-19 vaccine in San Mateo County.