The City of Philadelphia has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to open the Esperanza Community Vaccination Center, located at Esperanza in the Hunting Park neighborhood.

The site has the capacity to vaccinate more than 1,000 Philadelphians per day through appointments or walk-up access.

From May 5^th, through May 25^th, the ECVC will also accept Pfizer first dose appointments and walk-ups. If you are receiving your first dose of Pfizer these dates at the ECVC, you will schedule your second dose appointment, on site, at another City vaccination clinic. The ECVC is not able to vaccinate children aged 12 to 15.

No appointments necessary! Walk-ins will be accepted at Esperanza Community Vaccination Center; however, people must arrive an hour prior to closing to be accommodated. See daily hours of operation below.

The entrance to the Esperanza Community Vaccination Center is located along the south side of W. Bristol Street, at 4261 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140.

The Esperanza Community Vaccination Center will operate five days a week. The times of operation will vary for easier scheduling.

o Monday and Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
o Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m.
o Thursday and Friday – Closed
o Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We ask that walk-ups come at least one hour prior to the ECVC’s closing.

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not conduct immigration enforcement operations at or near this vaccine distribution site.

How to register for a vaccine appointment

Appointments for the Esperanza Vaccination Center can be set for everyone 18+ who lives or works in Philadelphia by visiting www.phila.gov/vaccine.

If residents do not have internet access, have issues filling out the online form, or need the form in an additional language, they should call 3-1-1.

The Esperanza Vaccination Center is also accepting walk-ups.

What to Bring

An ID or piece of mail with a Philadelphia address is necessary to provide proof of identity.

What to Expect

Before your appointment

Please wear clothing that will make it easy for you to receive your vaccine. Consider wearing a shirt that can easily expose your upper arm. This will help the process move quickly and smoothly for yourself and others.

Individuals with vaccination appointments should plan to arrive on time. You may have to wait in line prior to entering the site to get your vaccine. Seating and wheelchairs are available on site to assist individuals who are unable to stand for extended periods of time.

One caregiver or other support staff is allowed into the clinic with those who need them who are receiving the vaccine.

You will move through several areas while answering important screening questions. Be prepared to move around the facility while you are traveling from registration, to vaccination, to observation.

If you require mobility assistance, let any staff member in uniform know. One companion may accompany the person with the appointment.

You’ll be scheduled for your second dose, if your vaccine requires one, when you check-in. You’ll be asked a few health screening questions to ensure it’s safe for you to receive the vaccine, and then you’ll get the vaccine.

After your appointment

After you’ve been vaccinated, you’ll wait in an observation area for 15 minutes. Certain health conditions will require a 30-minute observation time.

After their appointment, individuals will proceed into a tented observation area located in the school’s parking lot. All individuals will exit out of the south side of the tent.

You will receive a CDC issued card, keep this card in a safe place. Take a picture of it on your phone and email it to yourself. You’ll need to bring it to your second vaccine appointment, if you are required to receive a second dose.

You will also receive an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued fact sheet with certain vaccine-specific EUA information for you to read.

You may experience minor side effects after your vaccination. These side effects are signals that your immune system is working. Potential short-term side effects include:

• A sore arm
• General muscle aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Fever

Translation and Interpretation Services

If you or a member of your party needs language translation or interpretation services, see any staff member. A mix of on-site translators and mobile applications will be used to communicate with those who require interpretation of languages commonly spoken in Philadelphia.

On site languages will included Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese and many more. A language line phone service will support most other languages. Individuals will be welcome to use their own phone to support translation services via a provided language line number or will have access to a site-provided cell phone.

Access and Functional Needs Considerations

There will be an assisted check-in area and process, as well as signage with directions for patients with access and functional needs.

There will be on-site translation in American Sign Language (ASL) with additional language capability on-call as needed. Wheelchairs will be available. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services will also be available on site.

There will be a privacy or sensory booth on site for those who need it. The privacy booth is a place for those with or children with noise or stimulation sensitivities, those needing to change clothes, or for those who prefer more privacy.

Getting to the Esperanza Vaccination Center

There are many transportation options available to meet the needs of residents traveling to all City-run and FEMA-supported clinics. More information about the range of options can be found on the City’s vaccine clinic transportation blog.

The Esperanza Vaccination Center has transit options specific to this site, to ensure it’s as easy as possible to get to.

SEPTA Public Transportation Options

Individuals are highly encouraged to use public transit resources to get to and from their appointments at the Esperanza Community Vaccination Center. Transit passes are available at the site for anyone who needs them to take public transit to/from the clinic.

SEPTA continues to promote safe and healthy travel during the pandemic. Masks are required, and employee-ambassadors will reinforce this mandate and give out free masks as part of the Mask Force Philly program. More information on SEPTA service and COVID-19 can be found at septa.org/covid-19.

Bus and Subway lines to Esperanza

The clinic is accessible by public transit and is serviced by the 47 and 53 bus routes and the Broad Street Subway Line. Hunting Park is the closest subway stop and Allegheny is the closest ADA accessible subway stop to the site. This web-based map shows all transit routes to the ECVC. This static map shows frequent transit route to Esperanza.

Express shuttle from Allegheny Broad Street Line

A continuous express shuttle bus runs between Allegheny station and the Esperanza Community Vaccination Center for anyone using the Broad Street Line to travel to their vaccination appointment. The shuttle will begin 30 minutes before the clinic opens and will pick up on the south side of Allegheny Ave between Broad Street and 13th Street, near the elevators.

Seniors ride free on transit

Did you know adults age 65 and older can ride free at all times on SEPTA buses, trackless trolleys, trolleys, Broad Street and Market Frankford lines, and Regional Rail? Learn more about what you need to ride free as a senior on SEPTA.

Reduced transit fare for people with disabilities under age 65

Individuals under age 65 with a qualifying disability can ride at half-fare at all times on SEPTA buses, trackless trolleys, trolleys, Broad Street and Market Frankford lines, and Regional Rail. Registration information below. Eligibility criteria and application information can be found here.

Customized Community Transportation (CCT) service and access and functional needs transportation

SEPTA, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, has expanded Customized Community Transportation (CCT) service for Philadelphia residents 65 or older, and individuals with disabilities and/or access and functional needs, or anyone who identifies a ride accommodation need.

SEPTA CCT provides door-to-door service from individuals’ homes, to the vaccine clinic, and back home after their vaccination. This service is free-of-charge, and individuals do not need to be previously registered with CCT to use it.

Individuals can request a ride to their vaccination appointment by dialing 3-1-1 and selecting Option 5 between 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Requests should be made at least 72 hours before the date of the appointment.

Designated pick-up and drop-off areas

The clinic entrance is located at 4261 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140. In order to accommodate these transportation needs, parking will be restricted on the blocks surrounding the clinic area:

• South side of W Bristol, between N 5th and N 3rd St
• North side of W Bristol between N Orianna St and N 3rd St
• West side of N 3rd between W Bristol St and W Hunting Park Ave
• 60 ft along the east side of N 3rd St at the corner of W Bristol

SEPTA Public Transit Routes & Subway Shuttle Bus

• • ECVC is accessible by public transit and is serviced by the 47 and 53 bus routes and the Broad Street Subway Line (BSL). Hunting Park is the closest subway stop and Allegheny is the closest ADA accessible subway stop to the site.
  • A BSL shuttle bus will run between Allegheny BSL station and ECVC for anyone using the Broad Street Line to travel to their vaccination appointment.
  • The shuttle bus will run on a loop during vaccine clinic operating hours, providing transport to/from the subway approximately every 30 minutes.
  • The shuttle pick up and drop off location at the Allegheny BSL stop is on the south side of Allegheny Ave. between Broad St and 13th St. Parking will be restricted at the pick-up point.
  • The shuttle drop off location at ECVC is at the corner of W Bristol St and N 3rd St. The shuttle pick up spot location is on N 3rd St near W Hunting Park Ave.

Community Shuttles

• • Limited community shuttle services are available for communities that have transportation access needs. Shuttle services must be coordinated through a central community organization and requested at least three days in advance. The city is reaching out to community organizations with information about how to organize shuttle services. If you are interested in scheduling a community shuttle bus to travel to a vaccination site, please e-mail oem@phila.gov.

Rideshare & Passenger drop offs and pick ups

• • Rideshare and personal vehicle pick up and drop off will be along the north side of W Bristol St between N 4th St and N Orianna St.

Parking Information

Limited on-site parking is available. ADA parking is designated in the parking lot for approximately 10 spaces.

Items NOT allowed inside

• Aerosols
• Ammunition
• Animals other than service/guide animals
• Bags exceeding size restriction 18”x13”x7”
• Bicycles
• Balloons
• Coolers
• Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
• Explosives
• Firearms
• Knives
• Laser pointers
• Packages
• Supports for signs and placards
• Toy guns
• Weapons of any kind
• Any other items determined to be potential safety hazards

Get updates about the site

Residents can sign up to receive notifications about potential impacts to or changes at the Esperanza Community Vaccination Center—including transit and weather incidents. Sign up to receive these updates via free Ready Philadelphia text alert by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777.
A transportation coordination desk will be staffed by during clinic operating hours. Staff will provide transit passes for those who need them, and/or other transportation resource assistance as needed. They can also help provide guidance for those who are unsure about where to go to find their route home.