COVID-19 vaccine clinic for seniors draws hundreds in IE
LAKE ELSINORE (KABC) -- Before the sun was up, a line of cars snaked down a Lake Elsinore street in front of Diamond Stadium.
The site is a super vaccination clinic exclusively for those 65 and older.
David Hollingsworth, 84, waited an hour before getting his covid-19 shot.
"I am anxious to get the second one so that we're done. I want to get on an airplane, fly back and visit my son and his kids back in Connecticut," said Hollingsworth.
While he had appointment there were many in line who did not.
James Kennedy, 87, came with just a newspaper article about the vaccine clinic.
"I'm diabetic. I just took my insulin shot. I've had two open-heart surgeries. I don't know about an appointment. Nobody ever said anything about an appointment," said Kennedy.
He wasn't alone.
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Many seniors in line cited the lack of technological savvy or even a home computer for the confusion along with long hold times on the phone.
"I must have called 20 different phone numbers that we called right from the state of California health department and they gave us Riverside but nobody answers the phone," said Jay Adams of Murrieta.
Earlier this week, Riverside County made 5,600 vaccine appointments available to its senior population which were quickly snapped up.
"What we want to do is help people, we don't want to turn people away, but it is so important that people follow the protocol by getting those appointments," John Welsh, Riverside County public spokesperson.
In the end, county officials did not turn seniors away for lack of an appointment.
The relief at the gesture was evident.
Riverside County is stressing to the public because of limited vaccines people must make an appointment. They expect to vaccinate an estimated 700 to 800 people in Lake Elsinore on Saturday.
