Cerritos College lobbies to become mass vaccination site

NORWALK — While COVID-19 cases continue to reach record high numbers in Los Angeles County, Cerritos College, in collaboration with seven cities the college serves in its district, is seeking to be designated as an official Los Angeles County vaccination site. 

Pending the approval of county supervisors, the college could serve approximately 480,000 residents across 12 cities.

The Southeast Los Angeles region carries more than 25 percent of the population living below the poverty line, and vaccine access and education are critical factors to ensuring the health and wellness of the communities the college serves. The effort is supported by the cities of Artesia, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Lakewood, Norwalk, and South Gate.

Cerritos College continues to serve as a vital lifeline for many families in the region. Since 2017, the College has been an active partner with the L.A. Regional Food Bank to distribute food to students and the community bimonthly. The College has served more than 21,000 families, distributing 332 tons of food over four years. 

Under current public health orders, Cerritos College petitioned the Los Angeles Department of Public Health and County Supervisors to serve as a vaccination site to increase access to residents in the region. While the College waits for approval, thousands of residents scramble to locate the life-saving vaccine.

“As an institution of higher education, we play an important role in vaccine education and access. The southeast region is disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, but we are here to serve as a vested community partner to aid the region, and help fill in the gap for the underserved communities,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, president/superintendent, Cerritos College. “We hope the County Supervisors will designate our campus to serve as a COVID-19 vaccination site.”