Long Beach Convention Center to be converted into vaccine distribution site

Online vaccine portal VaxLB will be launched for the general public

Starting next week, the Long Beach Convention Center will be converted into a COVID-19 vaccine distribution site, the first of several to be established in the coming months.

Mayor Robert Garcia announced the move in his State of the City address on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

So far, the city has vaccinated over 13,000 people, including healthcare workers, hospital staff, clinic employees, pharmacists, dentists, paramedics, firefighters and the residents and staff of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Vaccination schedule prioritizes essential workers and at-risk population

Next week, the City will begin to vaccinate teachers, police officers, grocery workers and residents 75 and older.

• The first clinic for residents 75 and older will begin this Saturday, Jan. 16. Seniors in this group can contact their medical providers to get vaccinated. 
• Beginning Jan. 23, people 65 to 74 will be able to get vaccinated at these clinics.
• This coming Tuesday, Jan. 19, police officers and grocery workers will receive vaccinations. Grocery workers will be the first to receive vaccines at the Long Beach Convention Center.
• Teachers and staff at Long Beach Unified School District will be vaccinated beginning January 25.

When will everyone else be vaccinated?

During his address, Garcia announced that the City is launching VaxLB, an online portal that will alert residents when it’s their turn to be vaccinated. The portal will be launched next week.

“This will streamline our process and give folks peace of mind to know they’re in the vaccination system,” he said. “Nothing like this has ever been done before– not here, not anywhere. An emergency mass inoculation at this scale is unprecedented.”

Garcia said that the City expects to begin vaccinating the general public later this spring.

“I promise you we will vaccinate every person in our city who wants a vaccine,” he said. 

How do I sign up?

Essential workers in the grocery and food distribution industry can contact their employers to sign up for an appointment. Workers at independent markets can contact the Long Beach Health Department.

Seniors whose doctors don’t have access to the vaccine can sign up for a vaccine by emailing COVID-19vaccine@LongBeach.gov.

Members of the general public can sign up for the City’s online vaccination portal VaxLB starting next week to be notified when it’s their turn for the vaccine.