In quest for herd immunity, giant vaccination sites proliferate

As COVID-19 vaccine supplies are expected to rise significantly over the next few months, states and cities are taking steps to launch mass vaccination sites able to administer thousands of doses per day. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently relied on active-duty troops to open seven large sites in California, New York, and Texas, and several more are planned. Some sites, including Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and State Farm Stadium in suburban Phoenix, intend to inject at least 12,000 people per day once supplies increase; the latter already operates 24 hours a day. Along with these mass sites, President Biden wants pharmacies, community clinics, and mobile vaccination units to play major roles in increasing the nation’s vaccination rate. Only about 9% of adults are fully vaccinated to date. Obstacles include difficulty in reaching many Americans who do not drive or lack easy access to transportation, people who do not want to get vaccinated, and finding enough vaccinators. Some experts note that drive-through clinics can be better for infection control, but traffic and poor weather can cause delays. To address concerns of access and equity, FEMA is opening many of its new mass sites in low-income, heavily Black and Latino communities.