OCEANSIDE — The County of San Diego has opened a new COVID-19 vaccination location at the North Coastal Live Well Health Center in Ocean Ranch on Jan. 24.
Located at 3708 Ocean Ranch Blvd., the health center is one of two new COVID-19 vaccination locations the county opened over the weekend. The other location is at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in National City.
Both locations are operating from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Approximately 500 vaccinations will be available at both sites.
Currently, the vaccinations will be made available to eligible residents who fall under all tiers under the county’s Phase 1A criteria.
Tier 1 of Phase 1A includes health care staff working in acute care, psychiatric and correctional facility hospitals; staff in skilled nursing, assisted living and similar facilities; paramedics, EMTs and other emergency medical service providers; staff in dialysis centers; staff working in behavioral health and residential facilities; and staff who are licensed to administer vaccinations.
Tier 2 includes healthcare workers performing intermediate and supportive care of patients who need non-continuous nursing supervision; community health workers; public health field staff members; primary care clinics staff members; and staff working in behavioral health non-residential or outpatient facilities.
Tier 3 includes healthcare workers at specialty clinics, dental and oral health clinics, pharmacies, mortuaries and those who are working in laboratories that are CLIA-licensed, meaning they conduct testing on specimens from humans including blood and tissue, or are doing research with SARS-CoV-2.
Additionally, the county also expanded COVID-19 vaccinations to residents who are 65 years of age or older.
“With a number of health care providers now vaccinating in the age group, and the UC San Diego Health Super Station having a surplus of appointments, the decision was made this afternoon,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma J. Wooten regarding the expansion of vaccines to those 65 years or older in a Jan. 23 statement.
The opening of the new vaccination locations and expansion of vaccinations to elder patients came only days before California health officials’ announced that the state’s regional stay-home-order had been lifted for all regions in the state. The order was lifted as the state projects the Southern California region’s four-week intensive care unit bed availability will be above 15%.
North Coastal Live Well Health Center is a county Department of General Services that houses aging and independence services, a military and veterans resource center, community health promotions, regional administration, public health and behavioral health services.
With the two new additional vaccination sites, the county now offers a total of seven community locations for residents to receive their COVID-19 shots. Besides Oceanside, North County offers one other vaccination location in Escondido at the North Inland Public Health Center at 649 W. Mission Ave.
There are also five other locations where the county has partnered with health care suppliers to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Those locations include the UC San Diego Health Petco Park Super Station, Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, Sharp Grossman Hospital in La Mesa, Sharp Coronado Hospital in Coronado and Sharp Healthcare South Bay Super Station in Chula Vista.
Wooten emphasized that appointments are required to get COVID-19 vaccines, which will be made available based on supply.
Appointments must be made on the County of San Diego’s website.
