County opens Springs-centric vaccination clinic

A vaccination clinic serving the Sonoma Valley community’s large Latinx population, a group that has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, is now open three days a week at La Luz Center in Boyes Hot Springs.

The clinic at 17560 Greger St. will operate from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The focus is on serving those who live in the surrounding area.

The targeted effort is a collaboration between Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, Sonoma Valley Hospital, and La Luz Center, and the County of Sonoma.

The Springs clinic will serve a key demographic in Sonoma County’s equity strategy. Latinos comprise 27 percent of the County’s population but have experienced two-thirds of its COVID cases. So far, just 18 percent of residents who have received the vaccine have identified themselves as Latino.

“This is an exciting project to see if we can get more people vaccinated if we come to them, to where they live,” said Cheryl Johnson, CEO of Sonoma Valley Community Health Center. “La Luz was gracious to provide this beautiful and peaceful venue for this clinic.”

Vaccinations will be by appointment only for neighboring residents and members of the Latinx community. The clinic will be able to administer 200 doses a day of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. For information about how to make an appointment for the free vaccine, residents are invited to call La Luz at 707-938-5131.

Community health workers also will be doing outreach in the area, which will include going door to door in apartment complexes, to make sure local residents are aware of the clinic and have the opportunity to register.

“Equity remains a crucial goal and mission in Sonoma County,” said First District Supervisor Susan Gorin. “The Latinx community has suffered disproportionately during the past year. A targeted clinic with our trusted partners will allow them to deliver much-needed vaccines directly to this community.”

For a complete list of vaccination sites in Sonoma County as well as the latest vaccine numbers and how to receive a vaccine, community members are encouraged to visit SoCoEmergency.org/vaccine, or call 2-1-1.