DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) — The Del Mar Fairgrounds is set to become the county's latest mass coronavirus vaccination site later this week.
The fairgrounds will open for drive-through and walk-through vaccinations starting on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Longer hours and more days during the week will be announced as the supply of the vaccine becomes more widely available.
Once available, appointment slots for county residents who are currently eligible to receive a vaccine will be posted online here.
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"This super station will be the next major part of our regional vaccination strategy," said County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. "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."
Free parking will be offered to those patients with an appointment who choose the walk-through option.
(Click here for a map of the county's vaccination sites.)
Appointments at the Del Mar site will be open to all eligible county residents, not just Scripps patients.
"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 Del Mar Fairgrounds Interim CEO Carlene Moore. "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."
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The fairgrounds will be the county's fifth large-scale vaccination site, with other "vaccination super station" sites in downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa, and San Marcos. The county has also opened smaller "POD" locations around the region. UC San Diego has also opened a vaccine super station, but it is currently only for UCSD staff and patients.
County public health officials have said that the capacity to administer the COVID-19 vaccine has far outpaced the supply of available vaccines. Because of that, county appointments will only be offered for the number of available doses.