San Francisco, CA — The City of San Francisco has made significant progress on its COVID‑19 vaccination network and has the infrastructure in place to administer at least 10,000 vaccines per day once adequate supply is received. Just this week, San Francisco and health care partners opened a new high-volume vaccination site at Moscone Center, expanded neighborhood vaccine access in the Bayview and Mission neighborhoods, and launched a new vaccination site with Safeway Pharmacy at San Francisco State University. All sites are currently vaccinating health care workers and community members ages 65 and older, regardless of insurance status and in accordance with the State’s prioritization plan.

The goal of the City’s vaccination strategy is to make receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as convenient and comfortable for as many people as possible, particularly in those neighborhoods disproportionately affected by the pandemic. In partnership with the health care providers in San Francisco, which are receiving the majority of the vaccine doses from the state, the City is facilitating the quick and efficient delivery of vaccines through high-volume vaccine sites, neighborhood vaccine access sites, community clinics, pharmacy partnerships, and mobile vaccination teams.

In addition to creating the infrastructure required to vaccinate people quickly and conveniently, the City has developed a new webpage for people who live and work in San Francisco to find vaccination sites in San Francisco and book appointments. People who are eligible to be vaccinated can sign-up for an appointment at: SF.gov/getvaccinated. Anyone who works or lives in San Francisco can sign up for a notification when they are eligible for vaccination at SF.gov/vaccinenotify.  

“Creating this network of vaccination locations has been a massive undertaking, with City staff, health care partners, and community organizations working around the clock to create these sites and make sure we’re prepared to vaccinate people as quickly as possible. I want to thank everyone who has been working with us to make this network of vaccinations a reality,” said Mayor Breed. “Getting people who live and work in San Francisco vaccinated safely and efficiently will help us get on the road to recovery and protect the health of our entire community. We are ready to ramp up and vaccinate thousands of people per day -- now we just need the supply.” 

“Vaccinations are our way out of this pandemic,” said Dr. Colfax, Director of the Department of Public Health. “The Department of Public Health is working hard to expand vaccination distribution to communities that have suffered disproportionally from COVID-19. We encourages all eligible members of the public to get a vaccine so we can keep each other healthy, support our health care workers, and get San Francisco back on its feet. Until it’s your turn, please continue to be vigilant by wearing your mask and physical distancing. Let’s avoid turning Super Bowl Sunday into a super spreader event by following the health guidelines and avoiding indoor gatherings with people outside your household.”  

“The vaccine is one of the most critical tools we have in responding to the COVID-19 emergency,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, Director of Department of Emergency Management. “When Mayor Breed announced San Francisco’s vaccination plan, our goal was to have all the infrastructure and logistics ready to get vaccines in as many arms as possible. While we still need greater supply of the vaccine, the private-public partnerships that have come together to establish high-volume and community vaccination sites marks a significant turning point in our response and recovery from COVID-19.” 

High-Volume Vaccination Sites 

Today, the Moscone Center high-volume vaccination site officially opens by appointment only for anyone eligible to receive the vaccine, regardless of health coverage. Initially, the site will operate at a low capacity, but when supply increases it can expand to 7,000 to 10,000 vaccinations per day. Hours of vaccination will initially be limited but will ramp up to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily. The site is part of a collaborative effort between the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Department of Public Health partnering with a consortium of statewide health care organizations: Kaiser Permanente, Adventist Health, the California Medical Association, CommonSpirit/Dignity, and Futuro Health as well as the California Primary Care Association. 

In addition to the high-volume sites at the Moscone Center and City College of San Francisco (opened on January 22), the City will add a third high-volume vaccination site at the SF Produce Market in the Bayview. These high-volume sites were chosen in part for their proximity to neighborhoods in the southeastern part of the City that have been most heavily impacted by COVID. These sites will serve anyone, regardless of their health coverage status or provider. 

Neighborhood Vaccine Access Sites 

On Monday, February 1, the first neighborhood vaccine access site opened in the Mission District at 24th and Capp Streets. The City is working to expand neighborhood vaccine access sites to the Bayview, Excelsior, Visitacion Valley and other neighborhoods with the highest infection rates for COVID-19 and limited access to health care services.

The 24th Street site is by appointment only and is serving community health workers and local residents over the age of 65 within the Unidos en Salud network, which includes uninsured vulnerable populations. The site has an initial capacity of 120 vaccinations per day and, when vaccine capacity increases, this site may expand to conduct 200-400 vaccinations per day.

Community Clinics 

In addition to these neighborhood vaccine sites, the Department of Public Health and its community partners continue to vaccinate people through community clinics in the Western Addition, Chinatown, Bayview, Outer Sunset, and Potrero Hill. 

The Department of Public Health recently expanded vaccination access through the Southeast Health Center, which is offering walk-in appointments for residents 65 and older in the neighboring zip codes 94124 and 94134. Patients must show proof of age and residency in order to be vaccinated. No insurance required. 

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFGH) is offering free COVID-19 vaccines for people meeting all of the following requirements: live in zip codes 94110, 94112, or 94107; Ages 65 and over; and either Medi-Cal recipients, Healthy San Francisco recipients, or uninsured. Those who are eligible can drop in from 9am to 3pm any day of the week at ZSFGH’s Learning Center at 1001 Potrero Avenue, Building 30. Patients must show proof of age and residence, such as a utility bill or driver’s license. For those with Medi-Cal or Healthy San Francisco, patients should bring an insurance card.

Partnerships with Pharmacies 

On Wednesday, February 3, Safeway Pharmacy began vaccinating individuals 65 and older who live and work in San Francisco at San Francisco State University. The Department of Public Health will partner with Safeway Pharmacy, CVS, and Walgreens to eventually expand vaccination services throughout the city.

The distribution of a national vaccine during a pandemic is an unprecedented event, and the City of San Francisco is partnering with healthcare providers to have as many people vaccinated as fast as possible, while following the federal and state guidelines for prioritization. In the meantime, it is critical that all San Franciscans continue to follow all public health recommendations to wear a mask when not in your home, cough into your elbow, wash your hands, keep 6 feet from others whenever you must be in public places and help your local health department collect information to inform people of possible infection. These steps will help protect you and those around you while COVID-19 is circulating, and, along with the vaccine, will be essential to ending the pandemic. 

The City will continue to provide regular updates to the public about the vaccine in San Francisco at: SF.gov/covidvaccine. 

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