Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) today announced the launch of a second state vaccination site following the success of Arizona’s first 24/7 state vaccination site in Glendale.
“Arizona’s vaccine site at State Farm Stadium has been a game changer,” said Governor Ducey. “This week has demonstrated Arizonans are ready for the COVID-19 vaccine. We’re going to do our part to make sure they get it. I’ve said that vaccines do no one any good sitting in a freezer, and I’m grateful to the team at the Arizona Department of Health Services and Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs who have worked tirelessly to ramp up distribution.”
All appointments at the state’s 24/7 vaccination site at State Farm Stadium for January have been filled, demonstrating strong demand for the COVID-19 vaccine. Registration for more appointments in February will open Tuesday, January 19 at 9 a.m.
Governor Ducey and ADHS announced Arizona is dramatically expanding vaccine site capacity:
- ADHS will launch a new additional state vaccine site in the East Valley on Feb. 1 to further expand appointment availability. Registration for appointments at a new Phoenix Municipal Stadium location will also begin on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 9 a.m.
- The State Farm Stadium site will continue to operate at full capacity through the end of January providing the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Beginning in February, the State Farm Stadium site will begin offering second dose appointments in addition to the site’s current capacity for first doses.
- County health departments across the state are also working to expand appointment availability at their sites.
- Arizona has activated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Retail Pharmacy Program which will add up to 100 pharmacy stores providing vaccine over the next few weeks. When the program is fully activated, more than 800 pharmacies will have COVID-19 vaccine available in Arizona.
- There are over 200 vaccination sites statewide that have received vaccine, including 45 community health centers.
ADHS will open a new vaccine site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in partnership with Arizona State University and the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs on February 1. This site will be open during daytime hours. The number of appointments available at the site will depend on the number of vaccine doses available at that time. Registration for this new site opens on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 9 a.m.
“The second state site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium will dramatically boost the number of Arizonans who can get this vaccine,” Governor Ducey said.
“This is positive, encouraging news as we scale up our vaccination capacity in Arizona,” said ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ. “It’s clear that Arizonans are excited about the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We’re working around the clock to meet that demand. As the federal government ships more vaccine doses to Arizona, we will have more vaccine sites and appointments available soon.”
The biggest limiting factor on appointments is the limited supply of vaccine doses. Arizona receives weekly allocations from the federal government, which determines how many vaccine doses the state has and how many appointments can be offered. Arizona will continue to add additional vaccine sites as more vaccine is allocated to Arizona, including community health centers and pharmacies.
“We are hopeful the supply of vaccine doses from the federal government will continue to increase,” Dr. Christ said. “We will be ready to add even more appointments and additional sites as the state receives more vaccine doses.”
ADHS is putting out all of the doses Arizona receives from the federal government and distributing them to Arizonans at these state sites, county sites, medical facilities, and long-term care facilities, such as Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities. The CDC’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care with CVS and Walgreens is allocated vaccine doses to vaccinate the residents and staff of long term care facilities enrolled in the program.
As of Wednesday evening, 12,570 people have already been vaccinated at the 24/7 State Farm Stadium vaccination site ADHS and partners launched this week.
Nearly 190,000 doses of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to almost 171,000 Arizonans, including 17,000 who have received both doses.
Groups prioritized to date include: frontline healthcare workers, emergency services workers, and residents and staff at long-term care facilities (in Phase 1A): and protective services workers, educators and childcare workers, and adults 75 and older (prioritized Phase 1B). As of Tuesday, Jan. 19, an estimated 750,000 additional Arizonans 65 and older will be able to register for a vaccination appointment in counties that are in prioritized Phase 1B. Each county’s current vaccine phase is listed on our website, which is updated daily.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 19, those in groups prioritized for vaccination can register for available appointments at State Farm Stadium and multiple other vaccination sites at podvaccine.azdhs.gov. Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine. Those without computer access or needing extra help registering can call 1-844-542-8201 to be connected with someone who can assist. Note: You can use the patient portal at podvaccine.azdhs.gov to make an appointment for a relative in a prioritized group, such as someone 75 and older.
Those scheduled for vaccination will need to show identification upon arrival to the vaccination site demonstrating they qualify for phases 1A or priority 1B.
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azdhs.gov/COVID19Vaccines.
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