Indoor vaccination site opens at Gila River Arena

A new indoor COVID-19 vaccination site opened at Gila River Arena in Glendale on Friday morning, replacing the previous outdoor system at State Farm Stadium that gained national attention for its efficiency.

Home to the Arizona Coyotes, the arena near 91st and Glendale avenues will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, and has the capacity to administer 1,000 shots an hour. The site does not allow walk-ins, but sameday appointments can be made on the Arizona Department of Health Services website at https://podvaccine.azdhs. gov.

The main entrance will be used for check-in before patients are guided to a series of individual, private stations for vaccination. The 15-minute observation period takes place in arena seating overlooking the rink. Parking is free and volunteers are available in the lot and at the entrance to guide people through the process.

This was the second indoor vaccination site to open last week. Thursday morning, a facility opened at the WestWorld exhibition center in Scottsdale. Through June 30, it will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, accepting both walk-ins and appointments.

“We want everyone to have the chance to be protected against COVID-19, especially communities that have suffered disproportionate numbers of serious cases and deaths,” ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said at a news conference Friday.

Apprehension, time disrupt the rollout’s momentum

Participation has died down since the early months of the vaccine rollout, Christ said, when thousands of appointments were gone within minutes of being posted on the department’s website. As of Friday, two-thirds of eligible Arizonans have yet to be fully vaccinated.

“Now we are probably reaching Arizonans that want to get the vaccine, but are very, very busy,” she said. “We are going to try to reduce some of those barriers ... and now encourage walk-ins at some of our sites so people don’t need to plan to get their vaccine.”

Kaci Demarest, 24, was one of the first people to get a shot at the arena. Juggling a hectic schedule across two jobs, she said she wasn’t able to block off a day far enough in advance to use the previous scheduling system.

“This, on the other hand, was a super easy experience,” Demarest said. “I realized I would have the time this morning and was able to make an appointment, walk in and get my shot right away.”

Plus, the observation period had its perks.

“It’s also not a bad deal that you get to sit here and watch the Coyotes practice on the ice while you’re waiting for that 15-minute window to pass,” she added.

But time isn’t the only barrier standing between Arizonans and herd immunity.

According to Dr. Edmond Baker, a community physician and medical director at Equality Health, 33% of white Arizonans have received one dose of the vaccine, in contrast to only 18% of black Arizonans and 14% of Latino Arizonans, largely due to misinformation that created apprehension among minority communities.

To overcome this, Baker said people need to share “good news about the vaccine.”

“(Continue sharing) what it has allowed our families to do; to gather for Sunday dinner, to see our grandparents and to celebrate our loved ones’ birthdays.