The method of scheduling a covid-19 vaccination appointment at the Kern County Fairgrounds site has changed, Kern County Public Health’s Michelle Corson confirmed. Over the weekend, the state of California required that appointments for the fairgrounds site be made at MyTurn.ca.gov, instead of through the local phone number reported in our Friday, Feb. 19 issue.

For those without access to the internet, appointments will soon (within the coming few days) be available by phone at 833.422.4255. Those who already received their first dose at the fairgrounds will be automatically contacted; if they have not been contacted by the scheduling due date that appears on their vaccination card, they may call KCPH 661.321.3000.

The MyTurn platform does not currently recognize those newly eligible Phase 1b–Tier 1 (food and agriculture, education, childcare and emergency workers), but Kern County officials are expecting this to be updated sometime this week. Corson explained that those individuals are still able to register via MyTurn, and the system is designed to notify them as soon as that platform update takes place. They may then schedule their appointments.

Alternatively, those in the newly eligible groups may schedule their vaccination appointment directly with community vaccination locations such as those in Lebec and Taft (listed below). Eventually, all community providers will be required to shift their scheduling to take place via MyTurn, though this may take several weeks.

When vaccination appointments are made through MyTurn, both the first and second appointments are scheduled, which can alleviate concerns many have had about when (or whether) they would be able to get their second shot in a timely fashion.

LOCATIONS:

Lebec: Frazier Mountain Community Health Center (Clinica Sierra Vista), 704 Lebec Road. Giving Moderna on Wednesdays. For easy online scheduling, click the big red button at clinicasierravista.org/vaccinations. For appointments by phone, call 661.248.5250.

Taft: West Side Healthcare District, 100 E. North St, 93268
Giving Moderna on Fridays. Call 661.765.1935 to schedule an appointment, or go to www.wshcd.org to put your name on the waiting list to be contacted.

Bakersfield: Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 S. P St.
Giving Pfizer Wednesday–Friday. Make appointment (for both first and second shots) at MyTurn.ca.gov .

This is part of the February 26, 2021 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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