Hundreds of San Diego County law enforcement personnel were cleared over the weekend to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and with that expanded eligibility, a La Jolla hospital opened a vaccination site exclusively for them.
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla opened its vaccination site dedicated to law enforcement employees on Monday. It said in a statement that the hospital reached out directly to agencies to inform them of available vaccine appointments.
It is unclear how many doses of the vaccine this new center currently has.
The opening and long-awaited eligibility comes after leaders in the sector voiced their concerns that law enforcement was not included as part of the first responders who were able to get vaccinated in the county’s Phase 1A and 1B of its vaccine administration.
“Many people have been shocked by the fact that law enforcement wasn’t considered as a first responder on the front lines,” said Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy.
Law enforcement leaders from departments across the county have been pushing for the region to allow its employees to be vaccinated.
“We didn’t get the opportunity to stay home through any of the challenges that faced us last year and I’m proud of San Diego County law enforcement because they have not stopped doing the right thing even though they have been put in the back of the line,” Kennedy said.
Since March 2020, more than 500 law enforcement employees tested positive for COVID-19 and at least one of them died from the virus.
Under San Diego County’s Phase 1B move, childcare and education employees, food and agriculture workers and those in emergency services like law enforcement and fire and emergency operations are able to be vaccinated.
For more information on the county’s vaccine appointments, click here.