East Valley to get state-run COVID-19 vaccine site next week
Feb 22, 2021, 9:50 AM | Updated: 10:28 am
The Maricopa County COVID-19 vaccination site operated by Dignity Health at Chandler-Gilbert Community College will become a state-run site starting March 3. (Twitter Photo/@DignityHealthAZ)
(Twitter Photo/@DignityHealthAZ)
PHOENIX – The Arizona health department is adding a fourth state-run site for mass COVID-19 vaccinations next week, this one in the East Valley.
The Chandler-Gilbert Community College point of dispensing, which has been operating as part Maricopa County’s vaccination program, will become an Arizona Department of Health Services site March 3, Gov. Doug Ducey announced Monday.
It will initially operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and ramp up to 24 hours a day when more vaccine supply is available, according to a press release.
Registration for doses at the East Valley site will open March 1 at 9 a.m.
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“A region with well more than half of our state’s population will now have three state-run vaccination sites that position Arizona to vaccinate large numbers rapidly as vaccine supplies expand,” Arizona Health Director Dr. Cara Christ said in the release.
“Arizona has proven that the state’s nationally recognized model for these vaccination sites is scalable and transferable to other locations. By combining state resources with the support of partners, we can continue getting more doses into the arms of Arizonans.”
Dignity Health has been managing the community college site with Maricopa County. As was previously planned, the county will end its work there Saturday. On Feb. 6, Dignity Health celebrated administering 100,000 doses at the POD, which is located on Pecos Road just west of Gilbert Road in Chandler.
The state health department will reopen the operation in partnership with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and the Maricopa County Community College District.
“Arizona has called on the federal government to provide our state with more vaccine doses,” Ducey said in the release. “As more supply becomes available, we’ll be ready to administer the vaccine and protect Arizonans.”
Last week, the existing vaccination operation at the University of Arizona was turned into the third state-run site, the first in southern Arizona.
It joined the existing state-run sites at State Farm Stadium in Glendale and Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Only the State Farm Stadium site, which debuted Jan. 11, is offering 24/7 service so far.
For information about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration.
