Smaller walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics popping up in Santa Cruz County

WITH ANOTHER 6 MILLION STILWAL ITING FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE. ## BUT DEMAND FOR THE SHOT IS EASING . UP LOCAL COUNTIES ARE NOW SHIFTING FOCUS.... FROM SCHEDULED DRIVE THRU CLINICS.... TO SMALLER EVENTS WHERE WALKS ARE WELCOME. TONIGHT WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE.... STARTG IN WITH ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ WITH MORE ON THE NEW STRATEGY IN SANTA CR CUZOUNTY. CRUZMEDMO, HAS TAKEN TO THE STREETS RECRUITING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR COVID VACCINES THE MOBILE POP UP CLINIC WAS IN WATSOILNVLE WHERE IT OFFERS RESIDENTS 18 AND OVER MODERNA DOS ES THEY SAW A NEED BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE WEREN'T TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HOSPITAL CLICINS. "It's a lot of beating bushes,knocking on doors, going to businesses. It's really targeted to the audience that we really want to get it in right arms." MARCOS ZAMOR A, APPRECIATES THE HANDS ON APPROACH. HE SAID HE WORKS A T LOAND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET VACCINAT "Make sure that my family now safe for the vaccines" County Health Officis al are also considering a pop-up clinic strategy that would include areas where there's a lot of foot traffic like farmers markets "The idea is bringing the vaccine to where the people are at, so that's what we' re looking at and also with our goal of achiving health equity ...really think about population that wouldn't sign-up. THE DRIVE-THROUGH CLINIC RUN BY PUBLIC HEALTH AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN WATSONVILLE IS NOW ACCEPTING WALK-INS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC THERE WER13E 00 CLIENTS A DAY ITS DOWN TO A FEW HUNDRED BECAUSTHERE E ARE SIMPLY MORE VACCINES AVAILABLE. OF THE 230,000 RESIDENTS LIVING IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SIXTY SEVEN PERCENT HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE COVID VACCINE WHILE 44% PERCENT HAVE RECEIVED BH OT "We are approaching more normalcy then when we were a year ago and that's really what the focus is." THE COUNTY'S SHIFT FOLLOWS A SIMILAR MOVE BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATON WHICH CALLED FOR STATES TO MAKE VACCINES AVAILABLE O

Santa Cruz County is shifting its COVID-19 vaccine focus from scheduled drive-thru clinics to smaller events where walk-ins are welcome. CruzMedMo is a mobile medical clinic. They are taking to the streets, offering the vaccine to people who aren’t able to make it to hospital clinics. "It's a lot of beating bushes, knocking on doors, going to businesses. It's really targeted to the audience that we really want to get it in right arms," said Dr. Andrew Lewis, owner of CruzMedMo.Their mobile pop-up clinic in Watsonville is offering residents 18 and over Moderna doses. Marcos Zamora says he appreciates the hands-on approach. He says he works a lot and didn't have time to get vaccinated. "Make sure that my family now safe for the vaccines."Santa Cruz County Health Officials are also considering a pop-up clinic strategy that would include bringing the vaccine to areas where there's a lot of foot traffic like farmers markets"The idea is bringing the vaccine to where the people are at, so that's what we're looking at and also with our goal of achieving health equity... really think about population that wouldn't sign up," said Santa Cruz County Chief of Public Health, Jennifer Herrera.The drive-through clinic run by public health at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville is now accepting walk-ins.At the height of the pandemic, there were 1,300 clients a day. It's down to a few hundred because there are simply more vaccines available.Of the 230,000 Santa Cruz County residents, 67% have received the first COVID-19 vaccine, while 44% have received both."We are approaching more normalcy than when we were a year ago and that's really what the focus is," Herrera said.The county's shift follows a similar move by the Biden administration which called for states to make vaccines available on a walk-in basis

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —

"It's a lot of beating bushes, knocking on doors, going to businesses. It's really targeted to the audience that we really want to get it in right arms," said Dr. Andrew Lewis, owner of CruzMedMo.

Their mobile pop-up clinic in Watsonville is offering residents 18 and over Moderna doses.

Marcos Zamora says he appreciates the hands-on approach. He says he works a lot and didn't have time to get vaccinated. "Make sure that my family now safe for the vaccines."

Santa Cruz County Health Officials are also considering a pop-up clinic strategy that would include bringing the vaccine to areas where there's a lot of foot traffic like farmers markets

"The idea is bringing the vaccine to where the people are at, so that's what we're looking at and also with our goal of achieving health equity... really think about population that wouldn't sign up," said Santa Cruz County Chief of Public Health, Jennifer Herrera.

The drive-through clinic run by public health at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville is now accepting walk-ins.

At the height of the pandemic, there were 1,300 clients a day. It's down to a few hundred because there are simply more vaccines available.

Of the 230,000 Santa Cruz County residents, 67% have received the first COVID-19 vaccine, while 44% have received both.

"We are approaching more normalcy than when we were a year ago and that's really what the focus is," Herrera said.

The county's shift follows a similar move by the Biden administration which called for states to make vaccines available on a walk-in basis

Smaller walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics popping up in Santa Cruz County

Top Picks