County Conducting Vaccination Super-Site Event for Seniors at Auto Club Speedway
Appointments will be available for residents age 65 and over

Article County of San Bernardino

As part of an ongoing effort to significantly expand COVID-19 vaccinations, San Bernardino County is conducting a vaccination “super site” event geared toward seniors at the Auto Club Speedway (9300 Cherry Avenue in Fontana) on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The event will offer vaccines primarily to people aged 65 and older who live or work in San Bernardino County. Other vaccine-eligible groups, namely frontline health care personnel and emergency services professionals who live or work in the county, will also be served.

The County will announce tomorrow what the process will be for making appointments. Vaccines remain in short supply and vaccinations will be limited to the first 3,500 individuals who secure an appointment.

“While we are unable to immediately accommodate everyone who would like to be vaccinated, establishing this large, centrally located site represents an important milestone in our battle against the coronavirus,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We plan to announce additional vaccination sites throughout the county, including mobile vaccination teams, as soon as the State provides the County with sufficient doses.”

The Ontario Convention Center will open as a vaccination site on Thursday, February 4, and operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments for this location will become available next week.

Appointments may also be available through non-County providers, including hospitals, pharmacies and physician practices. Keep in mind, more events and sites are coming! A list of all vaccine providers, along with links for setting an online appointment, can be found at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/locations/. Individuals having trouble with online registration can call the county’s information hotline at 909-387-3911 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Residents receiving an initial dose at Tuesday’s Auto Club Speedway event will be able to immediately schedule an appointment to receive their second dose at a follow-up speedway event on March 2.

Those who secure a Tuesday appointment should expect to be onsite for approximately one hour, and are being asked to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to their scheduled time. While the actual vaccination process only takes a minute or so, recipients will then be monitored by medical staff for 15 minutes to ensure they don’t experience a negative reaction. (Most patients’ reactions are comparable to those received following a flu shot.)

“We are doing everything we can to make the process as easy and efficient as possible; nevertheless, we are advising those with appointments to anticipate some waiting time,” Hagman said. “We suggest bringing a book or magazine to read and perhaps some water to drink. Also, while portable restrooms will be available onsite for emergencies, we are encouraging people to visit a restroom immediately prior to their visit.”

Event attendees will be required to wear a mask and to maintain social distancing. They also will be asked to remain in their respective vehicles until otherwise instructed by a medical professional.

Hagman emphasized that the speedway event is only one of the vaccination opportunities the County is preparing, and said that additional vaccination locations will be announced soon.

“The speedway event is centrally located for a large percentage of county residents,” Hagman said. “We understand that the location is not optimal for those living in the desert and mountain communities. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to get vaccinated, so we will be announcing additional events and locations soon for these areas.”

County residents are encouraged to visit the county’s vaccination web pages often for updated information on vaccine availability and dispensing locations.