International ship crews arriving at the Californian Port of Long Beach and neighboring Port of Los Angeles, in the US West Coast, have started to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
So far, a total of 452 crewmembers on 27 ships visiting San Pedro Bay have voluntarily received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In addition to these, another 477 sailors aboard 29 ships are booked for vaccinations, according to officials.
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The no-charge vaccination is part of an ongoing partnership between the Port of Long Beach, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the National Guard, utilizing a mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit for those onboard vessels calling on San Pedro Bay.
The Health Department’s mobile program typically goes to the ships docked at terminals in both Long Beach and Los Angeles. On Thursday, the crew of a vessel moored at the Port of Long Beach received their shots. Earlier this week, the crew of more than two dozen mariners from the Algoma Victory traveled to the International Seafarers Center in the Port of Long Beach to receive the vaccines.
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. 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,
…said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.
More than two dozen crew members of the Algoma Victory traveled to the International Seafarers Center in the Port of Long Beach to receive the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on May 25, 2021 / Credit: POLB
Supply chain workers have been on the frontline of this pandemic since the beginning. 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,
…said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna.
In another initiative in February, the ports ensured vaccination of about 800 longshoremen. The two ports together account for nearly half of all US maritime trade and some 70% of the US imports from Asia, according to Reuters.
Seafarers’ vaccination has been at the forefront of discussions across shipping as a major factor linked to the crew change crisis, as vaccinated seafarers could have fewer travel restrictions making crew changeovers easier.
