One year ago this week, the first case of coronavirus was recorded in L.A. County. Since that day, all of us have been part of a historic effort to save lives, protect our economy, and defeat this pandemic.

At the heart of that effort is the urgent goal of getting safe, effective vaccines into the arms of Angelenos as quickly as possible.

Since launching vaccinations a few weeks ago, we’ve worked around the clock to improve this process –– from reducing wait times and maximizing vaccine doses, to implementing automatic booking for your second dose appointment. 

This is a significant logistical challenge –– and vaccines are still in short supply –– but there is no task more important than making sure every Angeleno can get vaccinated when the time comes.

Here are the facts you need to know:

• ELIGIBLE NOW: All L.A. residents 65 and older are eligible for the vaccine in L.A. County, joining healthcare workers, certain essential frontline workers, and residents and staff of skilled nursing facilities on the list of those who can currently get vaccinated. If you’re eligible, make an appointment through the County hub.

• WHEN WILL IT BE MY TURN? There’s no need to spend hours scouring the internet for clues and no reason to worry that the next phase is going to begin without your knowledge. Sign up to be automatically notified when you become eligible for the vaccine. You can also check what phase you'll be in.

• BY THE NUMBERS: The City of Los Angeles has vaccinated more than 152,000 people at our five City-run vaccination sites. In the last three days, our centers have provided 34,850 people with life-saving vaccinations –– a 17 percent increase since last week. Notably, the City has distributed 81 percent of the vaccine doses we have, one of the highest rates in the country.

• VACCINATION SITES: Nearly 200 locations are currently vaccinating people in L.A. County. As doses become available in the coming month, more sites and providers will administer shots. When your turn arrives, you can make an appointment through the County hub and bring your ID to the site. You can also book your vaccination through the County’s Call Center –– open from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. –– at (833) 540-0473, or talk with your doctor about getting vaccinated.

• SECOND DOSE: If you’ve gotten your first dose at a City or County site, your second dose appointment will be scheduled automatically. You’ll receive an email and text message 3 to 7 days before your second dose appointment, telling you where to go and when. The second appointment will be scheduled within the CDC’s recommended timeline. While it’s possible to change the time of your follow-up appointment, we strongly recommend keeping the slot you’ve been given.

• GET THE LATEST INFORMATION: Get key information by signing up for email updates from the L.A. County Department of Public Health. When your turn comes, make an appointment. Tell your friends and family to sign up for this VaxFacts newsletter or follow us at @MayorOfLA on Twitter. You can check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.

Every day we are building our capacity to deliver more vaccines to more people more quickly and improving the experience of patients. But the bottom line is that we just don’t have enough vaccines right now. As we receive more doses, we will scale up our operations and speed up the pace of getting shots to all Angelenos. This is how we will end the pandemic –– and it is the task of our time.

Stay healthy and be safe.

Eric Garcetti
Your Mayor

P.S. As the COVID-19 crisis continues, so does the City’s sweeping response. To learn more about how we are protecting Angelenos –– through testing, economic relief, and other measures –– visit our website.