Pima County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have launched mobile vaccination units to reach vulnerable communities with high risks of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
The operation includes two mobile vaccination units that are able to administer 250 vaccines per day each, according to a county press release.
The units will run through June 26, operating at two concurrent locations for three days, with one day to tear down and move to the next location. The locations were selected based on census tract data and the Social Vulnerability Index of the area to identify highly vulnerable communities.
The sites will offer walk-up vaccinations of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 18 and older on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients will return to the same mobile site 28 days after their first visit to receive their second dose, following CDC guidance. Help will be available to all who need assistance with mobility, language or other accommodations
After the Food and Drug Administrationâs emergency use authorization of Pfizer for children 12 to 15 on Monday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and CDC are expected to approve and recommend the use of Pfizer to vaccinate those 12 and older on Wednesday.
The Pfizer vaccine is currently available for those ages 16 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for those 18 and older.
âThe COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free â and theyâre our best shot to end this pandemic and return to the things weâve missed. Weâre moving quickly to empower parents and guardians to get this protection for their children,â said Gov. Doug Ducey. âMillions of Arizonans have already received the COVID-19 vaccine. Soon, kids ages 12 to 15 years old will now be eligible to get vaccinated and state vaccine sites are ready to serve them.â
Advertisement: Pharmacies and other providers with Pfizer, like CVS and Walgreens also plan to begin vaccinating those 12 and older as soon as the vaccine is approved. “We’re fully prepared to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 12-15 at thousands of CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide as soon as permitted,” said Sr. Communications Consultant for the Western Region, Monica Prinzing. ADHS also worked with rural counties to identify pharmacies that offer the Pfizer vaccine and get them additional doses to accommodate the age expansion. More details here.
Mobile vax units at Wheeler Taft Library, Greyhound Park today Meanwhile, Pima County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched mobile vaccination units to reach vulnerable communities with high risks of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
COVID cases remain on a plateau across Arizona.
For the week ending May 2, cases dropped for the first time since the week ending March 21, with 4,946 people testing positive, according to Dr. Joe Gerald, an epidemiologist and professor in the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health who has been tracking the virus for more than a year.
That means an estimated 68 Arizonans per 100,000 residents are testing positive. The state hit a low of 38 cases per 100,000 people on Sept. 8, 2020, between the summer and winter waves, and a low of 54 cases per 100,000 people on March 23 following the winter wave, with cases rising since then.
Advertisement: The operation includes two mobile vaccination units, which are able to administer 250 vaccines per day each, according to a county press release. The units will run through June 26, operating at two concurrent locations for three days, with one day to tear down and move to the next location. The locations were selected based on census tract data and the Social Vulnerability Index of the area to identify highly vulnerable communities. The sites will offer walk-up vaccinations of both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 18 and older on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients will return to the same mobile site 28 days after their first visit to receive their second dose, following CDC guidance. Help will be available to all who need assistance with mobility, language or other accommodations.