The city of Long Beach announced Friday, March 5 that starting next week, it will begin vaccinating residents between the ages of 16 and 64 who have physical or developmental disabilities.
The updated schedule for vaccination prioritization will take effect on Monday, and Long Beach will be one of the first places in California to begin vaccinating people younger than 65 with disabilities. State officials granted permission to Long Beach to begin vaccinating the demographic ahead of the March 15 statewide phase-in for people aged 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions and disabilities.
“We are grateful to now have the ability to start vaccinating people with disabilities,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “We are going to immediately prioritize this group for our clinics and home visits when needed.”
According to Long Beach officials, the state agreed to let Long Beach begin inoculating people in the next phase early because of the success the city’s Health and Human Services Department had on vaccinating people in the current available phases.
The city has vaccinated a total of more than 35,000 residents and 66% of its older adult population, officials said. Overall, more than 16% of the city’s population has received a vaccine.
Long Beach residents with disabilities can go to the Long Beach Convention Center between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. starting Monday, March 8 to receive their vaccines. No appointment is necessary, but individuals must show documentation of a disability, such as a placard or doctor’s note. They also must provide proof of Long Beach residence, including a utility bill or a driver’s license.
The city is also working on deploying mobile vaccine clinics outside downtown Long Beach to serve people with disabilities.
More information is available by visiting longbeach.gov/COVID19 or contacting the city’s vaccine center at COVID19Vaccine@longbeach.gov or 562-570-4636.