Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Health

UC San Diego Health Opens Vaccine Super Site On Campus For Patients, Faculty

Tables and chairs set up before the vaccination super station opened at RIMAC at UC San Diego. Feb. 8, 2021.
Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego
Tables and chairs set up before the vaccination super station opened at RIMAC at UC San Diego. Feb. 8, 2021.

UC San Diego Health opened a COVID-19 Vaccination Super Station on campus Monday, intended to serve vaccination-eligible UCSD Health patients as well as the university's faculty and staff.

The vaccination site is operating inside UCSD's Recreation, Intramural and Athletic Complex and is the fifth such Vaccination Super Station in the county.

"The opening of a new vaccination site at RIMAC represents another opportunity to partner with the County of San Diego to end the pandemic," said UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla. "UC San Diego Health is a statewide leader in vaccine distribution. Our continuing partnership with the county and the opening of this new superstation are parts of our overall commitment to establish the San Diego region as an exemplar for vaccine distribution."

Advertisement

The RIMAC site at 9730 Hopkins Drive is operated by UCSD Health, which also collaborates with the county, San Diego Padres and San Diego to run a vaccination superstation adjacent to Petco Park in downtown San Diego.

The Petco site, which opened Jan. 11, operates seven days a week and inoculates roughly 5,000 persons each day. As of Sunday, more than 100,000 people had received their first doses of vaccine at the Petco site. Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to visit the site late this morning with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.

RELATED: Tracking COVID-19 In San Diego

Once fully operational, the RIMAC site is projected to provide up to 5,000 vaccinations daily, operating seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vaccinations will be administered by invitation only through the MyUCSDChart application and an online appointment scheduling process.

"Widespread deployment of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is one of our most powerful tools for ending the current pandemic," said UCSD Health CEO Patty Maysent. "Adding a vaccination center on the UC San Diego campus allows us to expand outreach and vaccinate more people more quickly, while working within the current tier structure."

Advertisement

Unlike the drive-thru Petco vaccination superstation, inoculations will occur inside RIMAC.

The UCSD location joins the Sharp HealthCare Grossmont Center Super Station in La Mesa, Petco Park UC San Diego Health Super Station downtown, Sharp HealthCare South Bay Super Station in Chula Vista and Cal State University San Marcos Super Station, as well as multiple smaller sites in locations around the county.

The county is currently only vaccinating people who live or work in San Diego County and are health care workers and or 65 or older.

Doctors, pharmacies, community clinics and other health care providers are also providing vaccinations to San Diegans in the priority groups.

While vaccines have arrived in the region, supplies remain extremely limited. People are asked to please be patient — as supply increases, providers will be able to perform more vaccinations.

As of Monday, 2.4% of San Diego County residents aged 16 and up have been fully vaccinated.