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Santa Clara County Opens New Vaccination Site in East San Jose

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Santa Clara County opened a vaccination site at Emmanuel Baptist Church in East San Jose on Tuesday in an effort to reach those disproportionally impacted by COVID-19.

The church on North White Road sits in one of the county's hardest-hit ZIP codes, where approximately 1 out of 10 residents have contracted COVID-19, and the county's African American community has experienced a disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths.

The church will operate as a walk-in site for now with the capacity to vaccinate 500 people per day.

Emmanuel Baptist already serves as a COVID-19 testing center.

"I'm so thankful that we get a chance to be a light in this dark time, and to be a space where people can come and get help," Jason Reynolds, the church's senior pastor, said on Tuesday.

The new site is part of the county's effort to put vaccines in the arms of those most impacted by COVID-19, including the establishment of a wide variety of vaccination sites in hard-hit ZIP codes, and door-to-door canvassing to provide vaccine information in different languages.

More than 50% of county residents 65 and older have been vaccinated so far, but that number is much lower for the disproportionately affected Latino population.

The site will start vaccinating 100 to 200 people each day this week, with hopes of ramping up to its daily capacity of 500. The church will open for vaccinations Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It currently only accepts walk-ins but may switch to require appointments for vaccinations.

Bay City News

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