Orange County to add mass COVID-19 vaccination center at Soka University

Michael Lowman, left, is one of the first frontline workers to receive the vaccine in Orange County.

By Andrew TurnerStaff Writer

Jan. 21, 2021 6:19 PM PT

Orange County is set to take another step in its effort to make the COVID-19 vaccine available.

Soka University in Aliso Viejo is scheduled to begin serving as a COVID-19 vaccine super POD (point of dispensing) location on Saturday at 8 a.m.

The new site will become the county’s second mass vaccination center, joining the Disneyland location that began operating on Jan. 13.

“Orange County is working around the clock to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to everyone who wants it,” Andrew Do, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. “This second vaccination site at Soka University will allow us to vaccinate thousands more residents every day.”

The county expects to add more super PODs as its supply of COVID-19 vaccines increases. Individuals eligible to receive the vaccine at this point include healthcare workers and those who are at least 65 years old. An appointment can be made by visiting Othena.com.

“We are proud to partner with the County of Orange and Soka University to be a part of this important step towards ending this pandemic,” Aliso Viejo Mayor Tiffany Ackley said in a news release. “The opening of a Super POD site in the City of Aliso Viejo expands access to the COVID-19 vaccine for all residents across the county.”

On his first full day in office, President Joseph Biden reiterated a challenge to the American people, asking them to wear masks for the first 100 days of his administration.

“If we do this as Americans, the experts say by wearing a mask from now until April, we’d save more than 50,000 lives, going forward,” Biden said prior to signing several executive orders related to the nation’s pandemic response.

Orange County reported 38 coronavirus deaths and 1,340 new infections on Thursday in the latest data provided by the Orange County Health Care Agency.

There have been 2,546 lives lost countywide because of the virus during the pandemic, while the total case count has risen to 217,849.

Hospitalizations due to the virus stand at 1,935, with 517 of those patients being treated in intensive care units. The county also reported 20,166 tests for the virus, which brings the number of tests administered to 2,494,463.

The healthcare agency estimates that 149,396 people in the county have made a recovery after contracting the virus.