Disneyland: Home of the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s the coronavirus news

Disneyland in California has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March of 2020, This means that unlike their Floridian counterpart, Disney World, they’ve had their gates shut for nearly a year now. Disney World has been inviting visitors back since July despite numerous raised eyebrows and a slew of criticism.

However, Disneyland is in the news because it’s apparently preparing to open up again – but not for roller coaster rides & parades. Instead, Disneyland is set to become what California is referring to as a POD for the coronavirus vaccine. (POD stands for point of dispensing.)

Here’s what you need to know about the new role Disneyland will be playing in the fight against COVID-19.

One of five

Orange County is planning five different super sites for distribution. The plan is for these large PODs to have the capability to vaccine thousands of California residents every day.

Disneyland is set to be the first of these super vaccination sites and is meant to be up and running as early as later this week (it’s already Tuesday). While there are expected to be four more of these POD locations for the COVID-19 vaccine, there have been no official announcements as to where the others will be just since they’re still being finalized. The Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles is also expected to become a point of distribution, despite the lack of an official announcement.

Supervisor Donald P. Wagner thanked Disneyland and Anaheim for assisting in the rollout of the vaccine and stated “It’s important to vaccinate as many willing people as possible for COVID-19, and we need the space to do it”. It has not yet been clarified how or where Disneyland will be distributing the vaccine on their grounds.

The county chairman Andrew Do also said, “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”.

Those eligible

Currently, California is still in the phase 1A stage meaning they’re working to vaccinate healthcare workers and “long-term care residents”. Luckily with the implementation of five different super sites for vaccination, the rollout should be sped up, and they can hopefully move to the next tier in the relatively near future.

The next tier would be phase 1B where people over the age of 75 and those in high-risk careers such as education, emergency services, and food will be able to apply for the vaccine.

Currently, the people who are eligible will be contacted through their employer and asked to schedule an appointment for vaccination. For the time being there will be no “walk-ups”. Everyone will have to provide ID and proof they’re eligible for vaccination according to the current phase. However, some are wondering how self-employed workers such as physical therapists or physicians will get the vaccination since they aren’t directly tied to hospitals, but still provide healthcare.

California needs the vaccine

The state of California has been struggling with the pandemic for months now. The number of cases has been rising rapidly and hospitals are reporting they’re beginning to get overwhelmed.

California has recently reported reaching more than two million cases total and more than 30,000 cases each day since December 26 with spikes of up to 50,000 new cases in a single day.

There’s an understandable urgency in getting the vaccine to as many people as possible and thanks to this news many are excited to see Disneyland go from the happiest place on Earth to a place of much-needed hope.