May 28, 2021 — International ship crews arriving at the Port of Long Beach and neighboring Port of Los Angeles are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations as part of an ongoing partnership between the Port of Long Beach, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and the National Guard. So far, 452 crewmembers on 27 ships visiting San Pedro Bay have voluntarily received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

According to officials, 477 more sailors aboard 29 ships are booked for vaccinations. The new initiative ensures the health of workers who deliver essential goods during the ongoing pandemic, utilizing a mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit for those onboard vessels calling on San Pedro Bay. The program administers the vaccine to visiting crews at no charge.

Image above: 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.

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,” said Port of Long Beach 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.”

“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.”