WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2021) The US state of California opened its first two community centers under a new federal program targeting people in underserved and historically marginalized communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said.
"Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton is attending the opening of the first Community Vaccination Center in California today - at California State University in Los Angeles," FEMA said in a press release on Tuesday. "Another pilot Community Vaccination Center is also opening today in Oakland, California."
FEMA explained that both centers are part of a recently announced Biden administration $3.38 billion program to extend coronavirus vaccinations beyond typical distribution sites such as hospitals and pharmacy chains.
To expand the program, FEMA said is seeking bids to contract medical personnel to help staff both federally supported and community vaccination centers around the United States. The contracts are expected to be completed by mid-March. FEMA has also finalized a contract for 30 mobile vaccination units.
In addition, FEMA also said had deployed 1,279 staff across the country to help set up the program.
The Biden administration launched to effort to address reports of low vaccination rates, and higher levels of infection and deaths from the disease in minority communities.
As of Thursday, nearly 40 million Americans had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
