'We'll get it done in a week': SF CEO offers to raise funds for city to have mass COVID-19 vaccination site

"You guys give us the doses. I'll raise the money, and I'll bring the people to the table and we will do it safely and by the law. We will get this sh--t done," David Friedberg said.

ByLuz Pena KGO logo

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Tech CEO offers to raise funds for mass vaccination site in SF

San Francisco is among several California Counties that don't have a mass vaccination distribution plan in the works so tech CEO David Friedberg offered to raise funds.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco is among several California counties that don't have a mass COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan in the works.

On Monday, ABC7 news reporter Luz Pena spoke to Tech CEO David Friedberg who says he has a plan that could vaccinate tens of thousands in a month. Today Friedberg says if the city doesn't want to fund this, he will help raise the money.

WATCH: SF tech CEO proposes distribution plan that would 'vaccinate the entire country in 30-45 days'

As COVID-19 cases surge in California, a San Francisco tech CEO has a distribution plan that he says would stop transmission in a month.

It's a vaccine distribution proposal that has caught the attention of thousands of people.

"We can set up 30 volunteers at each High School parking lot and give the vaccines to 10,000 people a day. We can vaccinate the entire country in 30 to 45 days," said David Friedberg, Tech investor & entrepreneur

In the last 24 hours since our story, Governor Newsom announced:

Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego and Cal Expo in Sacramento will become mass vaccination sites. Even Disneyland is opening its doors to help.

But, what's the plan in San Francisco? We connected David Friedberg and San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney who's calling for a hearing with public health officials to explain the strategy to expand vaccination efforts.

"I think everything should be built around removing friction, removing barriers. We need to have more access sites. Have volunteers providing vaccinations, no insurance intake on the forms and let anyone that needs it or wants to, and get a vaccine. Sign up and be in line and go get a vaccine," said Friedberg

With an image of the great polio vaccination efforts of the early '60s as his Zoom backdrop. Friedberg asked what many San Franciscans have been wondering.

"Matt, I still don't get why the mayor, why an emergency declaration doesn't give authority? I know you guys struggle running the city and there is all sorts of politics that I can't begin to understand, but what the hell?," said Friedberg.

"I should be clear, they absolutely have the authority. It is not a question of authority. I think it's a question of the will to do it, and the misguided belief in my opinion that health officials are putting out there," said Supervisor Matt Haney.

As the new coronavirus variant spreads in the United Kingdom, health officials abroad have decided to extend the time between doses in order to vaccinate more people, more quickly. Now, doctors in the U.S. are discussing this, but not everyone agrees.

Supervisor Haney says he likes Friedberg's idea of vaccinating as many people as possible and setting up mass vaccination centers across the city.

It's been a month since the first person was vaccinated in San Francisco. What's the hold up for the general public?

"Our mayor and our director of public health have said that because most people have private insurance, most people should get it through their private provider, but to be clear this isn't an issue of cost. This is an issue of administration, governance and deployment," said Supervisor Haney.

MORE: Sites for mass vaccinations start opening in CA, Bay Area

With 27,000 COVID-19 cases reported in San Francisco and surging, Friedberg had a proposal

Luz: Pena :"Matt I just heard David offer to run this distribution vaccine plan. Do you think the city would go for that?"

David Friedberg: "I'll raise the money. You guys give us the doses. I'll raise the money, and I'll bring the people to the table and we will do it safely and by the law. We will get this sh--t done."

Matt Haney: "This is the opportunity that the city should not be leaving on the table, and so yes I would absolutely love to see that."

Friedberg went to explain, "We'll get a council of doctors. We'll get Bob Wachter, and a few others to get together and we will organize and manage this thing. If the DPH doesn't want to do it. I can guarantee you. I'll get the resources and we'll get funding to do it. We'll get it done in a week. We have 40,000- doses in San Francisco, those doses should've been in people's arms in 4 days. We're seating here 4 weeks later and half of them haven't been touched."

At this point, "The offer is on the table," said Friedberg.

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