COVID 19 vaccine

Here's what it's like getting a vaccine at the Oakland Coliseum's new vaccination supersite

ByLeslie Brinkley KGO logo

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Here's what it's like getting a vaccine at the Oakland Coliseum

History in the making in the shadow of where the Oakland A's play baseball; Tuesday was opening day for the federal vaccination supersite, the other in Los Angeles.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- History in the making in the shadow of where the Oakland A's play baseball; Tuesday was opening day for the federal vaccination supersite, the other in Los Angeles.

The federal government funneled $834 million into California to pull this off, doling out Pfizer vaccines 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week from now until mid-April using 100 vaccinators provided by the U.S. Health and Human Services. The U.S. Forest Service is in command along with state officials and local law enforcement.

Tammy Littrell, the acting FEMA regional administrator, said, "Our ultimate goal is to vaccinate up to 6,000 per day. That's the goal or striving to meet."

And they expect to hit that mark by the end of this week.

On this first day, they were only processing a couple of thousand and working out the kinks.

There was a traffic back up off of 66th Ave., that's the choke point but once inside things move quickly.

WATCH: How to make COVID-19 vaccination appointment at new Oakland Coliseum site

Here's what to do if you think you may be eligible to get vaccinated at FEMA's mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum.

Expect to be patient as they streamline the system. Maybe a 15-minute wait to get a vaccine then you wait for an observation period. Then you're good to go.

"We want to avoid people just spontaneously showing up," said Tina Curry with California OES.

The portal for an appointment is online at myturn.ca.gov.

"Keep an eye out for slots. They will continue to be open over the coming weeks and that's going to help us use every dose," said Curry.

VIDEO: Frustrated Kaiser members look outside provider for COVID-19 vaccines

The state's largest single health care provider, Kaiser Permanente, is lagging well behind other systems when it comes to vaccinating even their oldest and most vulnerable patients.

They're still working on protocol if people just show up in the hopes of getting a leftover dose.

"We would encourage them to go through our walk-through process or to schedule an appointment and come back at a later date," said Littrell.

With BART nearby, there are drive-through and walk-up stations.

They're recalibrating every afternoon and only pulling out the vials needed for appointments. That's why it's also important for anyone who makes an appointment to also cancel an appointment if they don't intend to show up.

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