UC San Diego Health Opens Vaccination Site on University Campus

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UC San Diego Health will open a new vaccination site Monday, February 8, 2021, at the Recreation, Intramural and Athletic Complex (RIMAC) on the main campus of University of California San Diego. The site will primarily serve vaccination-eligible UC San Diego Health patients as well as UC San Diego faculty and staff.

“The opening of a new vaccination site at RIMAC represents another opportunity to partner with the County of San Diego to end the pandemic," said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "UC San Diego Health is a statewide leader in vaccine distribution. Our continuing partnership with the County and the opening of this new superstation are parts of our overall commitment to establish the San Diego region as an exemplar for vaccine distribution."

The RIMAC site will be operated by UC San Diego Health, which also collaborates with the County of San Diego, San Diego Padres and City of San Diego to run a vaccination superstation adjacent to Petco Park in downtown San Diego. The Petco site, which opened January 11, 2021, operates seven days a week and inoculates roughly 5,000 persons each day. As of February 1, more than 89,500 persons had received their first doses of vaccine at the Petco site.

“Widespread deployment of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines is one of our most powerful tools for ending the current pandemic. Adding a vaccination center on the UC San Diego campus allows us to expand outreach and vaccinate more people more quickly, while working within the current tier structure,” said UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent. 

Once fully operational, the RIMAC site is projected to provide up to 5,000 vaccinations daily, seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vaccinations will be administered by invitation only through the MyUCSDChart application, and an online appointment scheduling process.

Unlike the drive-through Petco vaccination superstation, inoculations will occur inside RIMAC. The site has been set up to ensure maximum safety and efficiency.

Persons are eligible to be vaccinated based on criteria and guidance from the California Department of Public Health and other health agencies. The current eligibility criteria for UC San Diego Health patients can be found at health.ucsd.edu/covid-vaccine. The state’s guidelines are available at covid19.ca.gov/vaccines. Initial operations at RIMAC will focus on vaccinating eligible UC San Diego Health patients as well as eligible UC San Diego faculty and staff.

FAQ: RIMAC Vaccination Site

QUESTION: When and where will vaccinations be done?
ANSWER: The Recreation, Intramural and Athletic Complex (RIMAC) is located on the main campus of UC San Diego at 9746 Hopkins Drive (parking structure). The vaccination site will operate seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Q: Who will be running the vaccination site?
A: Medical personnel and staff from UC San Diego Health, assisted by volunteers.

Q: Who is eligible to be vaccinated at the RIMAC site?
A: The RIMAC site will serve eligible UC San Diego Health patients, as well as eligible UC San Diego employees and community members. 

Q: Can UC San Diego students be vaccinated at RIMAC?
A: UC San Diego students may be eligible for vaccination based on criteria related to campus employment. Eligibility is determined by guidelines issued by the California Department of Public Health, County of San Diego and other agencies. At this time, eligible categories in San Diego include health care workers and long-term care residents under Phase 1A, plus individuals age 65 and older. You can see all of the state’s guidelines at covid19.ca.gov/vaccines and San Diego County guidelines at www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/vaccines/phases.

Q: How will the vaccination scheduling and inoculation process work?
A: UC San Diego Health patients and qualifying university personnel will receive invitations to schedule their vaccination appointment through the MyUCSDChart electronic medical record system and university employees will receive emails to their UC San Diego account with directions on how to schedule. All vaccinations are by appointment only. 

Q: Can members of the public who are not UC San Diego Health patients or university employees, but who meet San Diego County criteria for vaccination eligibility make an appointment at the RIMAC site?
A: At this time the RIMAC vaccination site is only open to vaccine-eligible UC San Diego Health patients and UC San Diego faculty and staff. Should demand and vaccine availability increase, the site may expand in the future.

Q: What vaccine will be used?
A: Currently, either Pfizer or Moderna, depending upon available supplies. Both vaccines require a second dose, which is also scheduled by appointment through MyUCSDChart. For more COVID-19 Vaccine information, visit health.ucsd.edu/covid-vaccine.