Former Downey mayor tours FEMA vaccination site
Mario A. Guerra presents commemorative coins to soldiers at the mass vaccination site at Cal State L.A.
LOS ANGELES — Former Downey mayor and current Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Mario A. Guerra toured FEMA’s mass vaccination center at Cal State L.A. on Tuesday as federal officials urged the vaccine site to stay open amid the rising threat of a fourth wave of Covid-19.
Unlike other local vaccination sites in L.A. County, the center at Cal State L.A. is operated by the state and federal governments. It operates seven days a week and is capable of administering up to 6,000 vaccines daily, although on some days it has administered up to 7,500 inoculations.
The site is slated to close next month.
“Despite the swift pace with which the Biden administration has vaccinated 100 million Americans, our nation is still at grave risk of another wave of this deadly virus,” Congressman Jimmy Gomez said in a statement. “The vaccination center at Cal State L.A. is nothing short of essential in maintaining an equitable vaccine distribution for underserved Angelenos.”
FEMA has indicated it will continue to provide support in the form of funding and personnel to the Cal State L.A. site. However, the direct federal supply of vaccines to the facility will cease on April 11.
On March 25, Gomez sent a letter to acting FEMA administrator Robert Fenton, urging the agency to either extend its mission at Cal State L.A. or support the local operation by maintaining the site’s federal allotment of COVID-19 vaccines along with infrastructure and personnel.
Mario A. Guerra speaks with Army and National Guard soldiers at Cal State L.A. on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Guerra, a former two-time mayor of Downey, toured the vaccination center, where soldiers from the California National Guard and from Fort Carson are operating the vaccine distribution together with FEMA and the California Office of Emergency Services.
“It was inspiring to see the work of so many, working together, to help in the effort to vaccinate as many Californians as possible. As quickly as possible,” Guerra said. “I was proud to see what they have been able to do with the efficiency, passion, and commitment to fulfill their mission. Seeing our soldiers in uniform vaccinating our seniors and special communities, representing our Army in various capacities, made me proud of how they represent our country.”
While at the site, Guerra presented coins to 10 exceptional soldiers — five from the National Guard and five from Fort Carson. He also met with leadership from FEMA and the California Office of Emergency Services.
Approximately 1,500 soldiers and personnel are operating the site on an eight-week mission. The vaccination site costs $10 million per week to operate.
“As a CASA it is one of my great joys to be able to say thank you to our soldiers and commend them for a job well done,” Guerra said. “We are grateful as a nation every time we call upon them and they always come through.”
The site will begin administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 1. The one-does regimen will ensure that every patient who has visited the site is fully inoculated by the time they leave.