Eligibility opens to all Los Angeles County residents, 16 and older, on April 15th. You can expect a professional, organized, and positive experience when receiving your vaccine. Book your own vaccination appointment today!
Photo of a man receiving a COVID vaccine by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
On April 15th, Los Angeles County opens up COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to all residents over 16, regardless of immigration status. This is an amazing thing. There's finally a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel: the chance for L.A. County residents to achieve herd immunity, which is projected to happen by the end of June.
By then, enough people will have been vaccinated to prevent not only contracting a serious case of COVID-19 disease but to stem its spread to those who don't decide to get vaccinated or who are too young to receive the vaccine.
This is wonderful news. Still, with other news that came out on April 13th that the CDC and FDA decided to stop the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States after six women developed a severe type of blood clot after receiving it, many may feel wary about getting vaccinated.
I would behoove you to go ahead and do it. I highly recommend you get vaccinated with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Both have been tested in large clinical trials. Nevertheless, there are other qualms that L.A. County residents may have about the experience.
Let me tell you about my own to calm your nerves.
I was vaccinated on April 2cd.
Because I'm fifty, I was part of phase 1B of L.A. County residents who became eligible to receive a vaccine on April 1st. I made my appointment immediately, and I'm really glad I did.
The whole experience was headache-free and an incredibly positive one to boot. The effort was carried out with a degree of professionalism and organization that I don't often see in health care, especially in government-subsidized health care.
Based on my experience, you shouldn't feel nervous at all about going to get your vaccine.
How to get your vaccine.
The first step is to make an appointment online. How easy is that? No phone calls. No waiting in lines. Though it is possible to book an appointment by phone for residents with disabilities or without computer access, the best option is to book your appointment through the appointment page on the Los Angeles County Public Health website.
Where I received my vaccine.
I chose to be vaccinated at the site set up at the University of Southern California. I assumed that the site would be set up inside some facility—say inside Keck Medical Center.
Photo of USC by Brion Vibber.
This wasn’t the case. The vaccination site was organized in none other than a parking garage. But don't think that meant the experience lacked professionalism.
The process was highly organized.
As I said, the process to get vaccinated was so streamlined and professional that I was in and out of there in 45 minutes. However, I do recommend you book your appointment for first thing in the morning. I chose the first slot available, which was at 8 a.m. I didn't want to be waiting in a long line. And yet, with how organized the whole endeavor was, I doubt I would have.
You’re not supposed to arrive early for your appointment. I showed up at 7:50 a.m. As soon as I pulled up to the parking-garage entrance, I was told to put on my hazard lights.
From there, I was directed to drive up through the floors of the garage. Along the way, I received more direction from various attendants with the same precision that happens at Dodger Stadium or Disneyland.
Finally, several floors up, each car was directed exactly where to park. Then, as a group, we were instructed to walk down to a certain level where we were shown exactly where to wait in line.
Everyone working the site had a positive and caring attitude.
I had only been waiting in line for a minute or two when a friendly attendant strode up to get the necessary proof of my eligibility. He had a bounce in his step, like he was sincerely happy to be doing this job. It was this way with everyone I encountered working at the vaccination site that morning.
It struck me that as a community, we were all, at that moment, giving a collective sigh. For an entire year, our lives have been on hold because of the coronavirus.
People have lost family members. They've been furloughed from their jobs or have lost them altogether. And let’s not forget the stress on families—especially on mothers—with kids home from school for over a year.
We’ve been living a life without fun during all this time. No going to the movies, or going out to eat. No children’s museums or science centers. We’ve literally been stuck at home.
But now with the vaccine, we’ve been given a way out of this ordeal. Of course, this staffer was happy—we all were happy!
Photo by Mikhail Nilov.
When it was finally my turn to receive my vaccine, I was greeted by a nurse with the same type of energy. She was incredibly kind and sweet, asking me which arm I wanted to receive my vaccine in, assuring me it wouldn’t hurt one bit. Guess what? It didn't.
And still, the whole time she kept asking if I was okay. I sensed that she knew she was performing a real duty to society. She was. Every person who works at these vaccination sites is.
After my vaccination.
I was instructed to sit in my car for fifteen minutes after receiving the vaccine to make sure I didn't have an allergic reaction. If I didn’t feel well for any reason, I was told to honk my horn and someone would come immediately. I felt perfectly fine afterward, though if I hadn’t, I’m positive someone would have been there to help me at once.
I went home and felt normal for the rest of the day. I didn't have any side effects. My arm wasn't even sore. I'm still waiting for my second dose of the vaccine. I can't wait to receive it.
Make the appointment to get vaccinated now.
With the city now opening vaccination eligibility to basically everyone except children under 16—for free—with no requirement other than you prove you reside in this county, I would sign up as soon as possible to receive your own vaccine.
If you don't want to do it for yourself, then do it for our society.