Long Beach Begins Vaccinating People With Disabilities Ahead Of State
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) — The city of Long Beach Monday began vaccinating residents between the ages of 16 and 64 who have physical or developmental disabilities.
The city became one of the first jurisdictions in California to begin vaccinating people younger than 65 with disabilities.
Eligible residents can visit the Long Beach Convention Center between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day except Sunday to receive their shots.
No appointment is necessary, but individuals must show documentation of a disability, such as a placard or a doctor's note.
People also must provide proof that they are a resident of Long Beach with either a utility bill or a driver's license.
The city is also working on deploying mobile vaccine clinics outside downtown Long Beach to serve people with disabilities.
"We are grateful to now have the ability to start vaccinating people with disabilities," Mayor Robert Garcia said. "We are going to immediately prioritize this group for our clinics and home visits when needed."
State officials granted Long Beach permission to begin vaccinating the demographic ahead of the March 15 statewide phase-in because of the success its Health and Human Services Department has had in vaccinating people in the current phases.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health plans to follow the state guidelines and expand vaccine eligibility next week to those with underlying health conditions.
More information can be found at longbeach.gov or by contacting the city's vaccine center at COVID19Vaccine@longbeach.gov or 562-570- 4636.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
