Vista CA— Starting this week, the County of San Diego began operating a new COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Linda Rhoades Recreation Center in Vista. The center, which is located 600 North Santa Fe Avenue, has been operational as a COVID-19 testing facility since November 11th. To avoid cross-traffic between eligible vaccine recipients and potentially COVID-19 positive individuals, vaccinations will be administered on non-testing days, Sundays and Mondays from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
Last October, when case numbers were increasing in the region, Assemblymember Boerner Horvath took the lead in convening a partnership between the Vista Unified School District, the City of Vista, and San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency to expand no-cost, walk in testing in the hardest hit areas of North County. This collaboration led to the opening of the Linda Rhoades site, which has since tested thousands of residents, filling the access gap in that community. As vaccination began ramping up, Boerner Horvath took the same approach — pushing for the addition of a vaccination clinic at the Vista site.
“We know that our underserved communities are often the hardest hit in this pandemic” said Boerner Horvath. “Ever since this crisis began, I’ve been focused on ensuring that resources are being deployed equitably so that testing, tracing, treatment — and now vaccinations — reach everyone, no matter where they live. It’s great to see how our hard work from last fall to expand testing is now making it easier to bring vaccinations to Vista residents. I’m grateful to Councilmember Corinna Contreras and School Board Trustee Martha Alvarado for their work on this and to Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas for their continued attention to our needs in North County.”
“Assemblymember Boerner Horvath fought for her district to have access to vaccines, we heard the request and as part of our commitment to equitable distribution of the vaccine, the County made it happen,” said Chair Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “This vaccination site is another example of our investment and commitment to finding solutions that get us out of this pandemic, get our kids back in the classroom, restore our economy and put our entire community on a path toward recovery.”
“The testing site at Linda Rhoades Recreation Center has been successfully utilized by our Vista community,” said Vista Councilmember Corinna Contreras. “As a walkable site on our busy North Santa Fe corridor, all of our community is able to easily access the site for testing purposes and now, for vaccination as well. This collaborative work between various levels of government and organizations has brought much needed services to Vista in a time when they are crucial to the health of our community during this unprecedented pandemic.”
“The expansion of Linda Rhodes Recreation Center to provide COVID-19 vaccinations on Sundays and Mondays will help address the equity gap for hardest hit neighborhoods in Vista,” said Vista Unified School Board Trustee Martha Alvarado. “I look forward to the state acquiring more vaccines and possibly adding another day to the vaccination schedule.”
This new clinic joins the sites in Del Mar, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, and Escondido for a total of six county-administered vaccination locations in North County. Assemblymember Boerner Horvath will continue working with both county and city officials on culturally competent ways to increase awareness of these new vaccine services, especially within underserved senior communities.