Nearly 500 international crew members from 27 ships coming into the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles were recently given the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for COVID-19 for free, thanks to a partnership with the Port of Long Beach, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the National Guard.
“Supply chain workers have been on the frontline of this pandemic since the beginning,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We need to vaccinate as many people as possible, and we’re pleased to see that vital work happening in our harbor. I’m so proud that Long Beach is doing so much to stop this pandemic by reaching out to mariners coming to both our port and the Port of Los Angeles.”
To date, 452 crew members have been vaccinated through the health department’s mobile unit, which regularly visits ships in the San Pedro Bay, the port said.
“It’s great to see our city helping these sailors who serve on the ships that carry the world’s cargo across the oceans and keep this industry moving,” said port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “These men and women are an important part of the supply chain, and they travel all over the world. We thank the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services for its foresight and efficiency in bringing the vaccinations to the ship crews.”