Long Beach has launched its VaxLB online portal where people can sign up to make appointments, get updates and receive notifications when it’s their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine, officials announced Tuesday.

The launch comes as the city on Tuesday kicked off its mass vaccine super site at the Long Beach Convention Center that will be capable of handling up to 3,000 people a day in cars and on foot. About 1,800 people were scheduled for appointments on Tuesday.

The city is currently vaccinating residents 65 and older, long-term care facility residents and workers, healthcare workers, emergency essential workers and food sector workers. Long Beach next week will begin vaccinating educators.

Long Beach plans to move into its next phase in March that includes those ages 16-64 years of age with underlying medical conditions and workers in transportation, logistics and other sectors. The Convention Center site will likely remain open for the next several months and will eventually accommodate the general public when the vaccine become more widely available this spring.

The Convention Center super site will be open Monday through Friday with appointments available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Shots are distributed in a drive-through set up with kiosks in the parking garage or by walk-up at the Terrace Theater.

Vehicles line up in the queue as the Long Beach Convention Center becomes a mass vaccination site in Long Beach Monday, January 19, 2021. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

The city will also have vaccine pods for seniors on Saturdays at its Health Department headquarters.

Appointments are full for this week, but the city will make more appointments available as more doses become available. Long Beach typically receives new shipments each Tuesday, but planning can be difficult because the city often does not know how many doses it will receive from the government.

The city is prioritizing residents 65 and older and its workforce, but those who live in Long Beach and work in an eligible sector, like education or health care, can  make appointments. Long Beach officials are also in talks to help nearby cities like Lakewood, Paramount and Signal Hill when more doses because available.

Click here for the VaxLB site or for more information call 562-570-4636, wait for the prompt and press option 6, and leave a message, or email [email protected].