CVS Pharmacy at 600 Front St. in Santa Cruz has updated COVID-19 booster shots and flu vaccine Dec.16, 2020 . (Allison Gasparini — Santa Cruz Local)

Last updated: September 2025

COVID-19 vaccine information

About 23.3% of Santa Cruz County residents are up to date with the COVID vaccine, according to Sept. 1 state data. Additionally, 856,056 doses of the vaccine have been administered in the county as of the same date.

Primary care providers, health clinics, pharmacies and some supermarkets offer COVID and influenza vaccines in Santa Cruz County. Review the list of vaccine resources below and visit the County of Santa Cruz’s list of  COVID vaccine sites.

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Where to get COVID and flu vaccines

Updated COVID shots were not available as of Sept. 22.

Flu shots for Dignity Health patients 6 months and older are available by appointment only. 

Appointments can be made through the state’s MyTurn website or by calling the patient services line at 831-288-6526 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vaccine line staff can assist patients who cannot find availability on the MyTurn website.

More information is on Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican’s website.

Updated COVID vaccines and flu shots were available at Kaiser Permanente clinics in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville as of Sept. 18, according to Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine website

Kaiser patients can make appointments online for adults and children 6 months and older.

COVID and flu shots for everyone 6 months and older are walk-in only.

  • Santa Cruz: 110 Cooper St., Suite 500. Open 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Scotts Valley: 5615 Scotts Valley Drive. Open 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Watsonville: 1931 Main St. Open 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m Monday through Friday.

COVID and flu vaccinations are available for adults. 

COVID and flu vaccinations for children 6 months to 11 years old were not available as of Oct. 11. 

Call 844-987-6115 or log into MyHealthOnline for appointments and vaccine availability updates. More information is on the Sutter Health vaccine webpage.

As of Sept. 19, Costco at 224 Sylvania Ave. in Santa Cruz was awaiting delivery of the updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines and flu vaccinations. Vaccines are generally available walk-in or by appointment online, but only offered to those with pre-existing conditions or over 65 years old.

Schedule an appointment online. For questions, call 831-469-0366.

CVS pharmacies in Capitola, Felton, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville offered updated COVID vaccines to patients over 65 or with pre-existing conditions and flu vaccines as of Sept. 17. Vaccine type availability varies by location and can be found with scheduling an appointment online.

Online appointments can be made for all locations and walk-in services depend on availability, a CVS representative said.

  • Capitola: 809 Bay Ave. Call 831-475-1421.
  • Capitola: 1750 41st Ave. Call 831-476-0400.
  • Capitola: 1825 41st. Ave. in Target. Call 831-227-2102.
  • Felton: 6247 Graham Hill Road. Call 831-335-6403.
  • Santa Cruz: 1700 Mission St. Call 831-457-2481.
  • Santa Cruz: 600 Front St. Call 831-426-7444.
  • Scotts Valley: 257 Mount Hermon Road. Call 831-438-5920.
  • Watsonville: 1415 Main St., inside Target. Call 831-740-4283.
  • Watsonville: 1966 Main St. Call 831-722-1782.
  • Watsonville: 490 Rodriguez St. Call 831-722-9454.

Flu vaccines are available at Doctors on Duty in Santa Cruz and Watsonville as of Sept. 17. Only walk-in service is available. New patients are welcome. 

  • Santa Cruz: 615 Ocean St. Call 831-425-7991. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
  • Watsonville: 1505 Main St. Call 831-722-1444. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Updated Pfizer COVID and flu vaccines are expected the week of Sept. 29 at the Emeline Health Center in Santa Cruz and the Watsonville Health Center. The County of Santa Cruz’s Health Services Agency runs the clinics mainly for people who are uninsured, underinsured or have Medi-Cal insurance.

Watsonville Health Center: 1430 Freedom Blvd., Suite D, Watsonville.

  • Appointments are available 1-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 831-763-8400 to schedule.

Emeline Health Center: 1080 Emeline Ave., Santa Cruz.

  • Appointments are available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 831-454-4100 to schedule. 

The Homeless Persons Health Project was out of COVID vaccines as of Sept. 19 but was expecting more. Flu shots are available for unhoused people. 

Shots are available 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. Friday. Patients can schedule an appointment at the clinic at 115A Coral St., Santa Cruz. Unhoused residents and homeless service providers also can call 831-454-2080 to make an appointment.

Established patients ages 6 months to 21 can get a vaccination at the clinic at 222 Green Valley Rd. in Freedom. The clinic offers the 2023-2024 Moderna COVID booster.

Call 831-728-2969 to make an appointment. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday.

Rite Aid pharmacies in Santa Cruz County had updated COVID and flu shots as of Sept. 17. Appointments and eligibility information are on Rite Aid’s website

  • Aptos: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 80 Rancho Del Mar. Call 831-688-6417. COVID and flu shots are available by appointment.

Four Safeway pharmacies in Santa Cruz County offer updated COVID vaccines and flu vaccines. Registration and eligibility are on Safeway’s website. As of Sept. 17, Safeway pharmacies in Santa Cruz County had COVID and flu shots for anyone 12 and older. Appointments are prioritized but walk-ins are accepted. Schedule appointments online.

  • Aptos: Safeway Pharmacy, 16 Rancho Del Mar. Call 831-661-4861. Walk-ins accepted.
  • Santa Cruz: Safeway Pharmacy, 117 Morrissey Blvd. Call 831-426-8911. Walk-ins accepted.
  • Santa Cruz: Safeway Pharmacy, 2203 Mission St. Call 831-420-0785. Walk-ins accepted.
  • Soquel: Safeway Pharmacy, 2720 41st Ave. Call 831-477-7217. Walk-ins accepted.

Established patients of Salud Para La Gente can make appointments for the updated COVID vaccine for adults and children 5 years and older, and flu shots for adults and children 6 months and older.

Send a text message with “VAX” to 831-728-0222 or call 831-728-0222 to make an appointment. Visit Salud Para La Gente’s website for details.

COVID shots are not available at Santa Cruz Community Health centers as of Sept. 23. 

Flu shots are available by appointment and during regular care for adults and children 6 months and older. 

Call 831-427-3500 to schedule an appointment. More information is on Santa Cruz Community Health Centers’ website.

  • Live Oak: Live Oak Health Center, 1510 Capitola Road.
  • Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, 250 Locust St. 
  • Ben Lomond: Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center, 9500 Central Ave.

Walgreens pharmacies offer the flu vaccine and updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines following the California Department of Health recommendations. As of Sept. 17, walk-ins are accepted and appointments preferred at Walgreens pharmacies in Santa Cruz County. Registration is on Walgreens’ website.

  • Santa Cruz: 1718 Soquel Ave. Call 831-425-3911.
  • Scotts Valley: 210 Mount Hermon Road. Call 831-430-9113.
  • Freedom: 1810 Freedom Blvd. Call 831-768-0183.

Westside Pharmacy and Horsnyder Pharmacy in Santa Cruz offer the flu vaccine. As of Sept. 23, they had updated Moderna COVID vaccines.

Walk-ins only, no appointments. Wait times are typically 30 minutes or less, pharmacy staff said.

  • Westside Pharmacy, 1401 Mission St. in Santa Cruz. Walk-in vaccine clinic hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and some Thursdays. Call 831-278-6769 for information.
  • Horsnyder Pharmacy, 1226 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz. Walk-in vaccine clinic hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but clients should call day-of to ensure availability. Call 831-458-1400 for information.

Reader questions

Vaccine administration numbers for Santa Cruz County are updated on the state’s vaccine dashboard.

health care worker receives the vaccine

Marika Riggs, an intensive care unit nurse at Dominican Hospital, receives a COVID-19 vaccine dose in December 2020. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

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