City of Fullerton logoOn Friday, February 19th the City of Fullerton in partnership with St. Jude successfully vaccinated 400 seniors aged 65 and older with the Moderna vaccine at the Fullerton Community Center in a one-day mobile vax clinic. The one-day clinic was put forward in a collaborative effort to provide vaccine accessibility to some of the community’s most vulnerable and hard to reach seniors.

The mobile vax clinic was offered to the City of Fullerton by St. Jude to mobilize hospital-allocated vaccine supplies provided by the state to members of our community. On Wednesday, February 10th, St. Jude confirmed that a vaccine supply would be allocated and available for a one-day mobile walk-up vaccination clinic. City Parks and Recreation staff and volunteers from the Fullerton Senior Club began reaching out via phone to seniors who are actively enrolled in the City’s Wellness Reassurance and Meals on Wheels programs. By eliminating the need for pre-registration, the City was able to reach residents who might not have access to a computer or the internet, or for whom registering on-line was just problematic. Those who wished to attend the walk-up clinic but did not have access to transportation were offered to take advantage of the City’s Senior Mobility Program, a program that connected seniors with a taxi ride to their vaccination appointment at no cost.

The mobile vax clinic was a one-day, not publicized event that involved City staff from the Parks and Recreation and Fullerton Fire departments, St. Jude administrative and medical staff, and Fullerton Senior Club volunteers. The lack of publicity was required because of the limited supply of vaccines as well as the by-appointment basis only. All COVID-19 protocols were followed at the site.

“I want to thank St. Jude Hospital for acting locally and helping the City reach out to our most vulnerable senior residents to deliver vaccinations,” stated Mayor Bruce Whitaker. “Partnerships like this are key to overcoming obstacles and ensuring all members of our community get access to needed health care during this time of great need.”

Mobile vax clinics are an additional option that addresses barriers and provides a place-based vaccination option to those hardest to reach. The City of Fullerton has a deep commitment to equity and ensuring that communities most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 have access to information, resources, and vaccines. The City will continue to explore potential partnerships and new locations for community clinics to ensure residents can access vaccines in community-based settings.

Those who wished to make an appointment but could not due to appointments being filled are on a waitlist to be invited back if a mobile vax clinic is to be activated again. A clinic may become activated based on vaccine supply provided to St. Jude hospital by the state. Anyone currently on the waitlist is still encouraged to continue to register with the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Othena app (www.othena.com), through their medical provider, or CVS and Rite-Aid pharmacies as there is no estimated future date for when or if another mobile clinic will be activated again.