Daily new cases of COVID infections in LA County are at 414. About 5% of these cases are fatal and result in death. The age group with the highest infection rate is 30 to 49. Most laboratory-confirmed cases come from Los Angeles County, with some cases in Long Beach and Pasadena.

The number of infections in the female population surpasses the number of males by 40,000. Combined, the total number of infections as of May 6 was 1.2 million. Half of this population are Hispanics. This group also has the highest number of deaths and hospitalizations, with over twelve thousand reported fatalities.

For more information regarding COVID19 statistics, Los Angeles County has a website for keeping track of the number of infections and where these occur. Visit the website here. (http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/locations.htm)

Where Are the Vaccination Sites in LA?

There are sites that offer mass testing and vaccinations. These “supersites” are located at the following:

Dodger Stadium
Pomona Fairplex
Cal State Northridge
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Petco Park
Forum

Is there a fee for the vaccine?

There is no need to pay for anything when getting the COVID19 vaccine.

Is there a schedule for the vaccination?

The vaccinations started in April. There is no set schedule for the vaccination and booking is not required to get the vaccine. However, the days for the vaccination are Mondays to Saturdays. Appointments are highly encouraged.

For drive-through locations, appointments are necessary. Appointments can be called in via 1-833-540-0473 or you can visit their website at Coronavirus.lacity.org/GetVaccinated. These drive-through sites are open 8AM to 3PM.

Crenshaw Christian Center
Hansem Dam
Dodger Stadium

Except for Dodger Stadium, the other sites are offering Moderna COVID vaccines. For secondary doses, Dodger Stadium also gives Moderna.

For mobile site locations, they’re concentrated around the Los Angeles County Area, and other locations are in Panorama City and Pacoima. They operate from Tuesday to Saturdays, 9 AM to 2 PM. There have been changes to the schedule, and evening hours are extended until 9 PM.

This extension only applies to South Park Recreation Center. Individuals will be given either Johnson and Johnson vaccines or the ones from Pfizer.

North Hollywood Senior Center
Valley Crossroads Seventh Day Adventist
Luther Burbank Middle School
Baldwin Hill Crenshaw Plaza – Sears
South Park Recreation Center
Banning Recreation Center
Andres and Maria Cardenas Recreation Center
Teatro Frida Kahlo

Several sites also accept walk-ins for vaccination. Unlike drive-through sites that require appointments, these are open Mondays to Saturdays, 8AM to 3PM. Each site offers different vaccines.

Walk-in sites that offer Pfizer include California State University, University of SoCal, Lincoln Park and the Los Angeles Southwest College. Pierce College has taken up the same setup as Dodger Stadium, offering both Moderna vaccines and the Johnson and Johnson variant. Century City on the other hand is offering Pfizer vaccines and Johnson and Johnson.

Most of these sites have parking spaces but individuals looking to get vaccinated at Lincoln park may have a harder time getting a spot for their cars. There’s very limited parking space at this site so it’s better to check out other sites offering the Pfizer vaccines, like Los Angeles Southwest College.

To help prevent overcrowding, the city government is encouraging individuals to book appointments. This also lessens the chances of getting infected or spreading the infection throughout the testing and vaccination sites.

What’s the Difference Between The J&J, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines?

Vaccines are substances that help the body identify and respond to a pathogen. In other words, vaccines work by activating the immune system.

COVID vaccines are designed differently. The Pfizer vaccine is made using the same genetic material that the virus uses to make its shell. Once introduced to the body, the immune system recognizes and remembers the “threat”, producing antibodies to fight future instances of the virus.

The Moderna vaccine uses the same approach as that of Pfizer. In terms of effectiveness, it’s one percent less efficient than Pfizer, with the latter at 95%.

Although there are reports that the Moderna vaccine doesn’t work as well as Pfizer in over 65-year-old patients, scientists explained it had more to do with the statistics rather than efficacy.

For Johnson and Johnson vaccines, they have a different approach. They used the same process when they developed a vaccine for Ebola. They used a harmless adenovirus. Adenoviruses are the largest group of viral agents that cause the common cold.

They introduced the genetic component of the Sars-Cov-2 that produces the spike protein into this harmless virus. The body then reacts the same way the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines induce an immune response.

J&J’s efficiency shines after 28 days. The vaccine works best in combating severe COVID symptoms. There are fewer hospitalizations due to the development of symptoms after receiving a vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer monitor reactions from day 14 and onwards, while J&J starts a week earlier.

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require booster shots after the primary dose. Persons who received the Moderna vaccine are highly encouraged to get the booster shot after 28 days. For Pfizer, booster shots are given 21 days after the initial dose.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is only a single dose, although the company started following the trend for booster shots with a 2-month interim.

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