THURSDAY, Jan. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The National Football League is asking teams to use their stadiums as places people can go to get vaccinated for COVID-19, CBS News reported Wednesday.
“We have encouraged clubs to contact their state and local health departments to offer stadiums and practice facilities, if practical, to serve as sites for vaccinating the general public,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement Tuesday. “These will be decisions between the clubs and their local officials based on need, location, and availability.”
Using arenas for vaccinations is not a new idea. The University of Michigan Big House, the nation’s largest college football stadium, became a vaccine center and can vaccinate up to 2,000 people a day. Former hockey stadium Broadbent Arena in Kentucky is another vaccination location.
In Massachusetts, Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is expected to be a vaccination site. The state’s firefighters’ union chief told CBS News that Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, could also become a vaccination site. In Miami, Hard Rock Stadium, where the Dolphins play, is also expected to be a vaccine center, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The NFL would benefit from Americans being vaccinated because it increases the odds that state officials will reopen stadiums. Closed stadiums mean teams are not making money from ticket sales, concession stands, merchandise, and other revenue sources, like in-stadium advertising.
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