SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Scripps Health, San Diego County and the Del Mar Fairgrounds are partnering to open a COVID-19 vaccination super station at the fairgrounds Friday.
The Scripps Del Mar Fairgrounds Vaccination Super Station, located at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., will provide drive-through and walk-through services on an appointment-only basis to anyone eligible to receive a shot under county guidelines.
"Scripps Health is pleased to collaborate with the county and the Del Mar Fairgrounds on what will be a very important community-wide resource and new tool in the battle to control and diminish the COVID-19 pandemic locally," Scripps President and CEO Chris Van Gorder said. "We are ready to expand beyond the smaller vaccination clinics we've been able to offer to Scripps patients over the past few weeks. All we need is a supply of more doses to vaccinate more people."
Current plans call for the station to open initially from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday. Longer hours and more days of operation will be added as more vaccine doses become available. Appointment slots will be posted once they are available on the county's vaccination website at www.vaccinationsuperstationsd.com.
"This super station will be the next major part of our regional vaccination strategy," County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said. "Our biggest challenge right now is vaccine supply, but we are preparing this large venue to ensure we are ready to ramp up vaccination distribution as quickly as possible when more doses become available."
Scripps will provide the clinical staff members who will administer the shots, the county will supply the vaccine doses, and the Del Mar Fairgrounds is making a portion of its facilities available to house the operation.
"As an accessible public facility with plenty of space and a team eager to help, it really makes sense for the Del Mar Fairgrounds to serve as a vaccination super station," said Carlene Moore, fairgrounds interim CEO. "Our staff and board of directors are excited to support the County Department of Public Health, along with their partners at Scripps Health, in their heroic vaccination efforts in the battle against COVID-19."
Free parking will be available for those using the walk-through option.
San Diego County coronavirus inoculation sites have received 651,450 doses of vaccine and administered 550,707 doses, according to the county's Health and Human Services Agency.
A total of 15.5% of San Diegans age 16 and over have received at least one of the two shots required to develop antibody protection against the virus. Around 3.3% of the population over the age of 16 is fully vaccinated.