February 26, 2003

RELEASE IMMEDIATELY

CONTACT:
Angela Jones, Public Information Officer
City of Richmond / City Manager's Office
(510) 621-1230

 

RICHMOND DESIGNATES AUDITORIUM AS
SMALLPOX EMERGENCY INNOCULATION SITE

County Health Department would administer the vaccine
 

City officials have identified the Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center at 403 Civic Center Plaza as the likely location for the public to receive the smallpox vaccine in case of an emergency. The facility was chosen because of its central location and familiarity. Activation of the facility as a smallpox vaccine location would require a declaration of a local state of emergency by the City Manager before mass immunizations would take place. The Contra Costa County Health Department would provide and administer the vaccine, with local jurisdictions being responsible for security and crowd control.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smallpox is a serious disease caused by a virus called variola, which is spread from person to person through close contact. Smallpox can cause a severe rash which can leave scars when healed, high fever, tiredness, severe headaches and backache, blindness, or death. The last smallpox case was in 1978.

To learn more about smallpox, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, call 1-888-246-2675 (English), 1-888-246-2857 (Espanol), or 1-888-874-2646 (TTY). Or, visit the CDC's website at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/


 

Directions to:
CIVIC CENTER PLAZA
 Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center

From San Francisco/Oakland
I-80 East, exit Macdonald Avenue
Right on 27th Street, left on Nevin Avenue

From Marin County/San Rafael Bridge
I-580 East, exit Marina Bay Parkway/
23rd Street, left on 23rd Street
Right on Nevin Avenue

From Sacramento/Napa/Vallejo
I-80 West, exit San Pablo Avenue/Barrett Avenue
Right on Barrett Avenue
Left on 27th Street, right on Nevin Avenue

BART Richmond Station
East toward Nevin Avenue, left on 19th Street
Right on Barrett Avenue
Right on 27th Street
Right on Nevin Avenue