Help a Family Member or Friend Know Where to Get a Shot for Hope
Know someone too busy to schedule a vaccine or having trouble navigating the appointment system? Let them know how easy it is now with walk-ups allowed at all County sites.
“Short of coming to your front door, we really can’t make getting a COVID-19 vaccination any easier for our San Bernardino County residents,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman. “We currently have 12 ongoing County sites operating, a revolving handful of special event sites, just about every hospital in the County and dozens of pharmacies that can get a shot of hope into your arm. And most of these locations are now accepting walk-ups.
Ongoing County-operated sites
All 12 County operated sites in the County operate Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All sites are offering the Pfizer vaccine and both appointments and walk-ups are accepted.
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Adelanto, Columbia Middle School (14409 Aster Rd.)
- Apple Valley, Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church (affiliated with Providence St. Joseph Health, 18386 Corwin Rd.)
- Bloomington, Ayala Park Community Center (18313 Valley Blvd.)
- Hesperia, Hesperia Health Center (16453 Bear Valley Rd.)
- Joshua Tree, Copper Mountain College (6162 Rotary Way)
- Montclair, Montclair Place (5060 E North Montclair Plaza Lane)
- Ontario, Ontario Convention Center (2000 E. Convention Center Way)
- Rancho Cucamonga, Inland Empire Health Plan (10801 6th St.)
- Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Cucamonga Sports Complex (8303 Rochester Ave.)
- Rialto, Grace Vargas Senior Center (1411 S. Riverside Ave.)
- San Bernardino, National Orange Show Event Center (689 South E St.)
- Victorville, Hook Community Center (14973 Joshua St.)
- Yucaipa, Yucaipa Senior Center (12202 1st St.)
People who walk-up to a vaccination site should be prepared to register in person, which will include answering health screening questions. Appointments can be made for all sites at sbcovid19.com/vaccine.
Hospitals, health centers, clinics and pharmacies
In addition to the above ongoing County-operated vaccine sites, many hospitals in San Bernardino County have vaccines on hand, as well as several clinics and health centers.
Individuals can use the County website or go through their physician groups associated with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Loma Linda University Health, San Antonio Regional Hospital, Mountains Community Hospital, Redlands Community Hospital, Bear Valley Community Healthcare or the San Bernardino Clinic.
In addition, Moderna vaccines are being given at the San Bernardino County Health Centers in San Bernardino, Ontario, Hesperia and Adelanto.
Finally, there are participating pharmacies administering doses throughout the county include Albertsons, Costco, Ralphs, Rite-Aid, Sav-On, Vons, Walgreens and Walmart, as well as many independent pharmacies. Individuals should check directly with their preferred, neighborhood pharmacy, or again, check the list at sbcovid19.com/vaccine.
With Summer Travel Approaching, Getting Vaccinated Is Essential
Airlines Requiring Passengers to be Vaccinated or Show Negative Test Results
San Bernardino County residents who have procrastinated about getting a COVID-19 vaccination have yet another reason to invest a few minutes to get a shot: the summer travel season will soon be upon us, and many destinations and airlines require passengers to be vaccinated (or at the very least show a negative test result) before being allowed to board or visit.
In California, all restrictions (with the exception of conventions with more than 5,000 attendees) are scheduled to be repealed statewide on June 15. However, the state has issued a travel advisory recommending self-quarantines for both unvaccinated out-of-state visitors AND unvaccinated Californians returning to the state.
“If you plan to travel during the next few months, it is essential for you to protect yourself and your family — and that means getting vaccinated,” said Interim Public Health Director Andrew Goldfrach. “The CDC says those who are fully vaccinated can travel within the United States at little or no risk.”
The same advice also goes to anyone staycationing at local museums, sports venues, theme parks and related destinations. The good news is that places everywhere are opening up; the bad news is that if you haven’t been vaccinated, you are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
Traveling by train or airplane
Beginning May 23, Amtrak will no longer limit capacity on its trains. Those searching for a train will be able to determine the percentage of seats sold on that particular trip; should they perceive the train to be too crowded after making a reservation, they can cancel or rebook their trip at no charge. And like traveling in planes, masks are required on all trains now.
Travel outside the United States can present additional challenges.
Several countries are continuing to see rising COVID-19 cases, and in response have renewed national lockdowns. Many nations, including Canada, remain closed to American tourists, and while several countries in Europe hope to re-open to vaccinated travelers this summer, the time frame is uncertain. To reference the specific OCVID-19 regulations for any country, visit the U.S. State Department Travel Website.
Although Mexico is one of the few countries that welcomes American travelers without testing or quarantine requirements, the CDC cautions against travel to Mexico because of the high risk of contracting COVID-19.
Regardless of where one travels outside of the U.S., all airline passengers flying back into the country, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated travelers, must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of their departure from a foreign country or proof of recovery from coronavirus.
“The very best way to assure a negative test result is to get vaccinated,” said Goldfrach. “That will not only give you the peace of mind knowing you and your loved ones are safe, but also help you avoid the inconvenience of a quarantine.”
First ‘Fire & Ice Cream’ Vaccine Pop-up Offers Vaccinators Free Churros and Ice Cream
To get as many of our residents vaccinated as possible, San Bernardino County continues to add new locations and launched a new vaccination pop-up program called Fire and Ice Cream.
The goal behind the Fire & Ice Cream events is to bring vaccinations to the neighborhood level by hosting pop-up vaccination events in neighborhood parks. Appointments will not be available for these pop-up events – walk-ups only. The first Fire and Ice Cream event happened last week at Nunez Park in San Bernardino, and more are planned in areas throughout the County.
The events are promoted with a street parade of County fire trucks, mobile vaccine van, an ice cream truck and a churro wagon. The convoy will drive slowly through neighborhood streets, with a firefighter announcing via PA where to go for a vaccine, free churros and ice cream.
 Pfizer Vaccine Approved by FDA for 12-15 Year Olds
Medical Experts Urge Parents to Schedule Vaccination Appointments Beginning This Week
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week that children aged 12 to 15 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and San Bernardino County will soon be taking appointments and walk-ups for children ages 12-15.
"Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations," said Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, adding that the medicine has been extensively tested and is safe for their children.
While the FDA first granted Pfizer's request for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine in December, until now the vaccine had been authorized only for people age 16 and older. Pfizer, which received federal approval to include children in its vaccine trials in October, asked the FDA to broaden its emergency use authorization for the vaccine after clinical trials found "100% efficacy and robust antibody responses" in study participants who were 12 to 15.
Dr. Sharon Wang, an infectious disease physician working at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), said she is very excited about this new development and is encouraging parents throughout the county to schedule appointments for their children.
“This is one more tool that will help the U.S. end the pandemic and get us back to normal,” said Dr. Wang. “While young people have generally avoided the worst effects of COVID-19, the benefits of getting vaccinated go way beyond protection of the individual getting a shot; it also protects those who are more vulnerable to severe effects, including hospitalization and even death.”
Wang added that getting more young people vaccinated will also allow more youth-oriented activities to resume and more schools to open for in-person instruction.
County health officials said parents of younger residents will begin scheduling appointments as soon as Thursday. In California, minors under 18 will need a parent or guardian to make an appointment or fill out the paperwork in the case of walk-ups.
Interested youth and their parents should check the County’s COVID-19 vaccination page to find providers, locations and schedule an appointment. Parents may also walk-up to County vaccination sites with their children.
All three makers of U.S.-authorized vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — are studying the safety and effectiveness of their vaccines in children, including those as young as 6 months. Pfizer said it will not be ready to ask the FDA for new EUA expansions for kids younger than 12 until September.
New Federal Website Makes Scheduling Vaccine Appointments Fast and Easy
With vaccines in plentiful supply and the federal government providing them free of charge to every person living in the United States — regardless of immigration or health insurance status — the primary objective now is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Towards that end, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working in partnership with the CDC and VaccineFinder from Boston Children’s Hospital, has created a new web page, www.vaccines.gov, that makes obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination easy and accessible to everyone.
“The new site helps people easily find nearby places where they can receive a COVID-19 vaccine and then schedule an appointment, if necessary. San Bernardino County residents may have family members living out of the county that need help in getting vaccinated,” said County Interim Health Director Andrew Goldfrach.
Vaccines.gov displays a variety of information about each provider:
- Types of COVID-19 vaccines available
- Website address and telephone number
- Hours of operation
- Instructions for taking the next step to get vaccinated
The three lead organizations are working closely with clinics, pharmacies, health departments and other vaccine administrators to provide accurate and up-to-date information about vaccination services in each geographic area.
“We have a good supply of vaccines. The vaccines, which have been administered to literally tens of millions of people, have been proven to be both safe and effective. And now finding a place to get vaccinated and schedule an appointment is unbelievably easy. So there is no excuse for those who have not yet bothered to get a shot,” said Goldfrach.
Those with questions about receiving a COVID-19 vaccination at a specific location should contact that location. Vaccine availability is subject to change and appointments are required at most locations. Please follow instructions for each provider listed on Vaccines.gov.
Sheriff Update on Inmates and Employees Testing Positive for COVID
A total of 1,003 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, and three of the inmates are still recovering from the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 1,000 inmates have recovered from the illness.
A total of 1,027 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1,021 of the employees have recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks. It is unknown when or where the employees were infected with the virus. The department continues to encourage all department members to heed the warnings of health officials.
Latest Stats
296,782 Confirmed Cases (up 0% from the previous day)
4,501 Deaths (up 0.1% from the previous day)
3,004,958 Tests (up 0.1% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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