Bernice Salgado receives her first dose of Pfizer vaccine from Rite Aid nurse, Uyen Vo at the Rite Aid & CSUDH Vaccine Pop-Up Clinic at CSUDH. Photo by Catalina Garcia.
By Alex Avila and Catalina Garcia, Staff Reporters
California State University, Dominguez Hills partnered with Rite-Aid to open a pop-up clinic for students, faculty, staff and community members to receive their first or second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the first of its kind at CSUDH. The clinic was stationed inside the College of Extended International Education (CEIE) on Aug. 26. Anyone from the ages of 12 and over was welcome to get their COVID-19 vaccine either by appointment or walk-ins.
This is the first of two pop-up clinics during the academic year, the next one taking place this month on Sept. 16.
Last month’s clinic was open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I feel good and nervous about the vaccine, It’s a good thing,” said Brenda Salgado, child development major. She was the first person at the clinic to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Those who attended the clinic were greeted and registered before heading to one of the four vaccination stations with nurses ready to distribute to everyone coming in. After receiving their shot, people were asked to wait 15 minutes in observation. The clinic had over100 people registered, but the number is likely to be higher taking into consideration those who arrived at the clinic as walk-ins.
Nora Garcia, the emergency preparedness manager at CSUDH, said the university is using all available resources to make the students, staff, and faculty safe. “Rite Aid actually reached out to us first and offered the vaccine clinic,” Garcia said.
Naydelin Felix Escamilla, a child development major at CSUDH, received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the clinic and was extremely proud of it. Escamilla said this was a great opportunity for those who do not have access to the vaccine.
“By setting the example of getting the vaccine you are setting the influence for the younger generation,” said Escamilla.
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham was present at the event and emphasized the importance of having this partnership with Rite Aid. “No university gets by in the community without a relationship with our strategic partners and Rite Aid certainly has been one of those who have come to assist us in this endeavor,” Parham said.
Parham emphasized the importance of the vaccination. For him, this pop-up clinic acts as a force to insure the safety of not only the campus but the city of Torrance and its surrounding community. “What we’ve done is understand…that the best way to defeat the virus and to keep the population safe is to invite everybody to be vaccinated,” he said.
According to the California State University website, CSUDH is not the only campus to make this service available to their campus and surrounding community. Rite Aid has also partnered with California State University, Channel Islands, California Polytechnic State University, and California State University, Chico.
The second pop-up clinic of this semester will take place next Thursday, Sept. 16. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pfizer vaccines will be available but the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will not be offered. Appointments are recommended but not required. To schedule your appointment visit HERE.
