Two Weeks in, more than 400 Vaccines Already Administered at Community Vaccination Clinic in Porterville

Porterville, CA – May 25, 2021: COVID-19 vaccination continues at the Porterville Veterans Memorial. To date, 406 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered by health care and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals from Sierra View Medical Center (SVMC) and Imperial Ambulance within the Community Vaccination Clinic located at 1900 W Olive Ave, Porterville, CA 93257.

Through a partnership with Tulare County Health & Human Services (TCHHSA), SVMC and Imperial Ambulance began administering COVID-19 vaccinations on Thursday, May 13. Currently, the available vaccine at the Community Vaccination Clinic is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for first or second dose. Those eligible to be vaccinated include children 12 years of age or older and adults.

Leading vaccination efforts in Porterville, Sean Roberts of Imperial Ambulance says the effort means a lot to him because the community has been through so much in the last year. He has been in Emergency Medical Services for 18 years, eight of those with Imperial Ambulance, and lives in Porterville. “This is our way to end the pandemic and get back to normal,” says Roberts.

Vaccination Schedule

The vaccination schedule leading up to Memorial Day is:

• Thursday, May 27, 2021: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Friday, May 28, 2021: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Saturday, May 29, 2021: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

A new schedule will be released following Memorial Day. For the latest vaccine information for Porterville Veterans Memorial Building, please visit www.sierra-view.com/COVIDvaccines.

Eligibility

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Immigration status does not matter. The COVID-19 vaccine is FREE and available to anyone 12 years of age or older. Pregnant women are encouraged to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with their doctor and may also be vaccinated at this site.

Walk-ins are welcome, but individuals may pre-schedule their vaccine by visiting myturn.ca.gov.

Vaccine Safety

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic. It typically takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. Learn more at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html.

The COVID-19 vaccine is also available at other locations within Porterville and throughout Tulare County. Appointments are available and can be scheduled by visiting myturn.ca.gov. For the latest Tulare County vaccination information, please visit https://covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov//index.cfm/covid-19-vaccine/.