States Turn Stadiums, Other Venues Into Mass Vaccination Centers

Familiar sites nationwide enlisted in fight against COVID-19

by Aaron Kassraie, AARP, January 26, 2021

an entrance to dodger stadium parking lot arranged for lines of cars to wait their turn for the covid vaccine

Kirby Lee via AP

The parking lot at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is being transformed from a COVID-19 testing site into a mass vaccination site.

En español | Just weeks into the massive effort to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19, some states have advanced from inoculating only health care staff and nursing home residents to offering shots to older adults and certain essential workers. In a bid to speed up the pace of vaccinations, familiar venues including sports stadiums, fairgrounds and convention centers are being transformed into mass vaccination sites. Here's a look at several of the facilities being used to vaccinate residents. Check AARP's vaccine guide for your state to find out when you are eligible to receive a shot and where you can get one.

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PHOTO BY: ANTHONY BEHAR/SIPA USA/AP Images

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center – New York, New York

People wait in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Javits Center, which also served as a coronavirus field treatment hospital at the onset of the pandemic last March.
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PHOTO BY: Damian Dovarganes/AP Newsroom

Disneyland Resort — Anaheim, California

"The Happiest Place on Earth” takes on a new meaning for essential workers and residents 65 and older waiting in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
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PHOTO BY: Eric Gay/AP Images

Alamodome — San Antonio, Texas

A health care worker administers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Alamodome, which is better known for hosting trade shows, concerts and sporting events.
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PHOTO BY: Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images

Petco Park — San Diego, California

People wait in line for their shot where baseball fans usually tailgate before a San Diego Padres game.
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PHOTO BY: ANTHONY BEHAR/SIPA USA/AP Newsroom

Brooklyn Army Terminal — Brooklyn, New York

Margaret Interlandi, 80, fills out paperwork on the back of Bill Miller, 79, to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Brooklyn Army Terminal originally served as the largest military supply base in the U.S. through World War II.
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PHOTO BY: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Tropical Park — Miami, Florida

A driver gives a thumbs-up as a passenger in his car receives a vaccine at the popular Miami park, built on the site of a former horse track.
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PHOTO BY: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Dodger Stadium — Los Angeles, California

A line of cars stretched across the Dodger Stadium parking lot. Before being used as a vaccine center, the baseball stadium served as a coronavirus testing site.
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PHOTO BY: Terry Tang/AP Images

State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona

The stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals football team, is currently serving as a 24-7 vaccination site.
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PHOTO BY: Al Bello/Getty Images

Jones Beach — Wantagh, New York

Long Islanders would usually take this road to spend a day at the beach. Today, it's lined with people waiting in their cars to get their COVID-19 shots at the first drive-through vaccination site in New York.
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PHOTO BY: Mark Stockwell/AP Newsroom

Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts

First responders who were vaccinated at the home of the New England Patriots football team were monitored for 15 minutes after receiving the Moderna vaccine. Gillette Stadium is the first large-scale vaccination site in Massachusetts.