Facebook campus will be used to vaccinate underserved communities

Starting Saturday, April 10, Facebook is converting part of its Menlo Park headquarters into an ongoing vaccination clinic for hard-hit communities, in partnership with the Ravenswood Family Health Center.

The free shots are open to residents of the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park, the North Fair Oaks area of Menlo Park and Redwood City, and the city of East Palo Alto. They will be administered from 12:30 to 4:00 pm at Facebook Building 28, 164 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park. No appointment is needed but a valid form of photo ID is required.

Eligibility for vaccination is based on County of San Mateo guidelines: people 50 and over; healthcare and public safety workers; education/childcare/grocery/restaurant workers; agricultural/transportation/janitorial workers; individuals with high risk medical conditions/disabled; and homeless/group home residents. Note: California is expanding vaccine eligibility to residents 16 and older beginning April 15.

“As more COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, we are finally seeing glimmers of hope, which can grow so long as we continue to make progress,” said Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. “At Facebook, we’re focused on doing our part to help people get vaccinated, especially those in underserved communities.”

Facebook is also partnering with the cities of Menlo Park and East Palo Alto to provide free transportation for community members to get to and from their vaccine appointments on the Facebook campus. Shuttle information and driving instructions can be found on the Ravenswood Family Health Network website.

In addition, Facebook is working with Governor Gavin Newsom and nine nonprofits to support pop-up vaccine clinics across California, including in the Central Valley, Inland Empire, San Diego, and South Central Los Angeles.

“I’ve been so inspired seeing people use Facebook Groups to help the elderly sign up for vaccine appointments,” said Sandberg. “I hope that everyone will get vaccinated once they’re eligible to protect themselves and their loved ones, so we can bring an end to the pandemic.”

While acknowledging that vaccine supply is an issue, a Facebook spokesperson said the hope is to vaccinate up to 10,000 people within the next several weeks.

Photos courtesy of Facebook