Arizona’s health department plans to shut down its seven remaining mass vaccination sites by June 28.
The 24-hour vaccination site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale was one of the first of its kind in the country and even attracted praise from the White House. After that, the Arizona Department of Health Services put a lot of emphasis on similar vaccination programs at stadiums and universities across the state. More than a quarter of all vaccines in Arizona have gone out at those sites.
But the mass vaccination PODs have been running below capacity for weeks. In early April, the sites were cumulatively administering more than 20,000 shots per day. But on some days recently, the sites have administered just a few hundred vaccines, according to state data.
The health department said hours of operation are already being cut and the remaining sites will close by June 28.
There are still hundreds of smaller clinics and pharmacies offering vaccines in Arizona.
In a Thursday press release, health department director, Dr. Cara Christ said, “We’re in a much different position today than we were early in the year, with enough vaccine available throughout Arizona for virtually anyone to get vaccinated when they want close to home.”
→ Q&AZ: What You Need To Know About Getting The Coronavirus Vaccine In Arizona
