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

Last updated: October 2023

COVID-19 vaccine information

About 29.5% of Santa Cruz County residents are up to date with the COVID vaccine, according to Oct. 1 state data.

Primary care providers, health clinics, pharmacies and some supermarkets offer COVID and influenza vaccines in Santa Cruz County. View the County of Santa Cruz’s list of  COVID vaccine sites or find detailed information below.

Read updated guidance on COVID boosters for children from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stay informed on Santa Cruz County’s biggest issues.

Santa Cruz Local’s newsletter breaks down complex local topics and shows residents how to get involved.

Where to get COVID and flu vaccines

COVID booster shots were not available as of Oct. 11.

Flu shots for Dignity Health patients 5 and older are available by appointment only. 

Appointments can be made through the state’s MyTurn website or by calling the vaccine 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.

COVID vaccine and flu shots were available at Kaiser Permanente clinics in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville as of Oct. 11, 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 children 11 and younger are by appointment only. Walk-ins are only accepted for children 12 years and older and adults.

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

Costco

Costco at 224 Sylvania Ave. in Santa Cruz offers the 2023-2024 Pfizer COVID vaccine and flu vaccinations. Children 3 and older can get a COVID vaccine but childrens’ appointments are limited, according to Costco’s website. 

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

CVS pharmacies in Capitola, Felton, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville offered COVID and flu vaccines as of Oct. 6. 

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

COVID and flu vaccines are available at Doctors on Duty in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Walk-in service and appointments are available. New patients are welcome. 

  • Santa Cruz: 615 Ocean St. Call 831-425-7991. Open 8 a.m. to 5:30 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.

COVID and flu shots are available 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 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 831-763-8400 to schedule.

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

  • Appointments are available 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays. Call 831-454-4100 to schedule.

The Homeless Persons Health Project has COVID and flu shots for unhoused people. 

Shots are available 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays. 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 COVID and flu shots as of Oct. 6. Appointments and eligibility information are on Rite Aid’s website. 

  • Aptos: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 80 Rancho Del Mar. Call 831-688-6417.
    • COVID boosters available by appointment. Walk-in flu vaccinations are offered 2:30 to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.
  • Capitola: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 1475 41st Ave. Call ‪831-476-7282.
    • COVID and flu shots are available.
  • Felton: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 6123 Highway 9. Call 831-335-7252.
    • COVID vaccine by appointment, walk-in flu vaccinations.
  • Freedom: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 1988 Freedom Blvd. Call 831-724-5104.
    • COVID and flu shots by appointment.
  • Santa Cruz: Rite Aid Pharmacy, 901 Soquel Ave. Call 831-426-4303.
    • COVID and flu shots by appointment.

Four Safeway pharmacies in Santa Cruz County offer the updated COVID vaccine. Registration and eligibility are on Safeway’s website. As of Oct. 6, Safeway pharmacies in Santa Cruz County had appointment availability for COVID and flu shots for adults and children 12 and older. Schedule appointments online.

  • Aptos: Safeway Pharmacy, 16 Rancho Del Mar. Call 831-661-4861.
    • By appointment only.
  • 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.
    • By appointment only.
  • Soquel: Safeway Pharmacy, 2720 41st Ave. Call 831-477-7217.
    • Walk-ins accepted.

Established patients of Salud Para La Gente can make appointments for COVID 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 as of Oct. 10. Flu shots are available 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 Health Center, 1510 Capitola Road. Appointments are available Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, 250 Locust St. Appointments are available Fridays.

Walgreens pharmacies offer the flu vaccine and Pfizer COVID vaccine. Registration is on Walgreens’ website. As of Oct. 9, appointments were available at Walgreens pharmacies in Santa Cruz County.

Westside Pharmacy and Horsnyder Pharmacy in Santa Cruz offer the flu vaccine. As of Oct. 11, they did not have updated COVID vaccines.

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

  • Westside Pharmacy, 1401 Mission St. in Santa Cruz. Walk-in vaccine clinic hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. 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. Call 831-458-1400 for information.

Concerns from readers about equitable access

Homebound Santa Cruz County residents in need of a vaccine can submit a county form to request a medical professional to visit their home. For assistance with the form, call the Community Bridges vaccination hotline at 831-219-8607.

Lyft offers free rides to vaccine appointments.

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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