Arizona-run COVID-19 Vaccination Sites Closing June 28

State-run COVID-19 vaccination sites are closing by June 28 in Arizona, as the state’s focus shifts to increasing community-based vaccination options such as pharmacies, pop-up clinics, and doctors’ offices.

State-run vaccination sites have administered 1.6 million doses of the vaccine to about 900,000 Arizonans, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).

“Starting with our 24/7 operation at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, these sites established a national model for getting limited doses of vaccine into the community rapidly and efficiently,” ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said in a statement on Thursday.

June 5 will be the last day for Arizonans to receive their first dose of the vaccine and schedule a second dose before the closing date. The ADHS encouraged those who would like to receive both vaccine doses at a state-run site to visit by then. First doses will still be administered after June 5, but patients will be given the information of other locations to receive the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Appointment information is on the ADHS website.

State-run sites have already begun to decrease hours and days of operation to begin the transition to neighborhood vaccination options.

“At the height of demand, state-run sites administered nearly 168,000 doses in a single week. Now, even with access to the Pfizer vaccine expanded to children ages 12 to 15, doses administered at state-run sites decreased to 13,000-50,000 per week during the month of May, highlighting the need to shift to community-based options,” the statement read.

As of Thursday, 5.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to 3.3 million individuals, including 2.8 million who are fully vaccinated, according to the ADHS. Close to 47% of Arizona’s total population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine, with 39% of Arizonans fully vaccinated.

The final site, Gila River Arena in Glendale, will close on June 28. The Glendale site administered a record-breaking number of vaccines since it opened on June 11. They administered 12,495 doses in one day, earning the site a virtual visit from the President and Vice President.

We’re in a much different position today than we were early in the year, with enough vaccines available throughout Arizona for virtually anyone to get vaccinated when they want close to home,” Christ said.

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This article was published on June 7, 2021 and reproduced with permission from The Center Square.