All East Palo Alto residents 18 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a new vaccination clinic starting Friday.

The clinic takes place at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School at 2450 Ralmar Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 2 and 3. The city plans to host the clinic on an ongoing basis.

The clinic is a partnership between the Ravenswood City School District, the city of East Palo Alto and San Mateo County.

East Palo Alto City Council member Antonio Lopez said in a statement that the vaccine clinic is a "life-changer" for the community.

"Not only will we be ensuring the safety of our residents through this site; we will empower them to return to work, to school, and in a word, to some semblance of normal," Lopez said.

Given the city's young population, opening eligibility to all adult residents will help speed up vaccination rates, which are the lowest in San Mateo County.

Only 27.5%of the East Palo Alto's population is vaccinated compared to 44.9% countywide, according to county data.

The clinic Friday and Saturday will also be the first time the city administers the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, with the capacity to give 500 shots each day.

Lopez will speak at a news conference Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, along with council member Regina Wallace-Jones, who advocated for local testing when she was mayor last year.

Residents of East Palo Alto are encouraged to sign up for an appointment and walk-ups are also welcome.