Disneyland to Serve As Super Site for Vaccine Distribution

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 12, 2021

 

It’s been more than ten months since Disneyland closed its gates to guests hoping to ride “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “it’s a small world” in Anaheim. But in the effort to help stem the tide of the pandemic that brought its operations to a standstill, Disneyland will be partnering with Orange County to become the first large COVID-19 vaccination site in the county. Four additional sites are in the process of being finalized.

It’s no surprise that Disneyland was chosen for the task. It’s a sizeable facility, and Disney is certainly no stranger to moving large crowds. The site will become one of five regional “point-of-dispensing” sites, or “Super PODs,” vaccinating thousands of people each day.

 

Andrew Do, Acting Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said in a press release, “The Disneyland Resort, the largest employer in the heart of Orange County, has stepped up to host the county’s first Super POD site – undertaking a monumental task in our vaccination distribution process.”

 

The goal of Orange County’s “Operation Independence” is to vaccinate all residents by July 4.

 

In Florida, where Disney World has already served as a COVID-19 testing site at its Maingate Complex, talks are underway to add vaccines to the mix. 

 

According to the Orlando Sentinel:

 

“Like hospitals across the state, Disney World has the capacity to store the vaccine with an ultracold freezer,” said state emergency director Jared Moskowitz during a virtual town hall with state Rep Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, last week.

 

“We have no ultracold freezer storage problems here in the state. There are plenty of hospitals with them. County health departments have them. Some universities have them. Disney World has one,” Moskowitz said, adding his department bought some, too.

 

For information about the Orange County California COVID-19 vaccination process, as well as who is eligible to receive vaccines and when, access the Orange County Health Care Agency’s website. 

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

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