SLO County large-scale vaccination clinics to close after this Friday

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- San Luis Obispo County is preparing to close down its three large-scale community vaccination clinics later this week.

"We will be closing those three clinic sites after Friday," said Michelle Shoresman, San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department spokesperson. "Friday is the last day we're giving vaccinations at the South County Regional Center, the Paso Robles Event Center and Cuesta College."

Since the first vaccinations went into arms in December 2020, the Public Health Department has administered the majority of doses distributed in the county.

"We've given over 162,000 doses so far," said Shoresman. "We've done approximately 60 percent in all of the doses that have been delivered in our county at those three sites through Public Health."

Last month, the county said it was drawing down two large-scale COVID-19 response operations.

The county's Alternate Care Site (ACS), which was built soon after the pandemic started last year as a temporary hospital inside the Cal Poly Recreation Center, is now dismantled.

In addition, the county said the Public Health vaccination clinics would be demobilized due to a decrease in demand and a greater number of vaccination options, including pharmacy and healthcare providers.

"There are more and more places where you can get vaccinated," said Shoresman. "After our clinics close on June 4th, we're going to be focusing on more mobile in communities and places where people frequent and will also continue to host vaccination hours at our three brick and mortar Public Health sites in Paso Robles, Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo."

Shoresman pointed out the vaccination clinics have been successful and a vital component in the effort to fight the pandemic thanks to a large-scale collaborative effort.

"I don't think we could have vaccinated as many people as we have in our county without those clinics," said Shoresman. "This county has really shown as a community that it can pull together in difficult times and I think our whole county can be really proud of what we have done together."

The operation of the sites was conducted through a variety of personnel, who helped staff the different sites the past six months.

"We've had hundreds of volunteers perform literally thousands of hours of volunteer service, not to mention the disaster service workers, county employees, SNAP staff that have come from out-of-state, left their families and communities behind to come help vaccinate San Luis Obispo County residents," said Shoresman. "We couldn't have done it without the very unique communities that we have in San Luis Obispo County."

While the clinics have helped vaccinate tens of thousands of county residents, Shoresman emphasized more work remains.

She said the goal is to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the eligible people to reach herd immunity. She added just under 60 percent of those eligible have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

"We still continue to promote vaccination," said Shoresman. "We also continue to encourage people to wear a mask if they are not vaccinated, especially wear a mask for anyone if your in large areas where there's lots of people, crowded environments, we continue to have a mask mandate in the State California until June 15th and then we will see what the Governor orders after June 15th."

The county's three clinics will operate one final time on Friday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The goal is to vaccinate at least 1,000 people at each site.

Appointments and walk-ins will be accepted.

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