Man arrested after disruption at California vaccination site

A man was arrested last week after allegedly harassing patients and workers at a COVID-19 vaccination site.

The Families Together of Orange County Community Health Center said in a news release on Wednesday that the incident occurred at its Tustin, Calif., location on Dec. 30, and resulted in one vaccination team member sustaining serious injuries and being sent to the hospital. 

The members involved in the incident were “expected to make a full recovery within a few days,” according to Families Together.  

“We’re extremely saddened to report that staff members working to help vaccinate patients in Tustin were attacked last week,” the organization said in a statement.

“While Families Together believes that vaccines are important in the fight against the pandemic, we understand that the decision to get vaccinated is purely personal,” the statement added. “However, we will not tolerate violence or harassment of any kind against our staff, patients or volunteers.”

NBC News reported that seven officers responded to a call from the clinic that day, and 43-year-old Thomas Apollo of Poway, Calif., was taken into custody and booked for battery and resisting arrest.

“The caller told our dispatcher that staff members were attacked by a male subject and that staff and bystanders were trying to hold the subject down,” the Tustin Police Department told the outlet.

The Southern California clinic has said it is one of the top 10 vaccine administrators in Orange County and has provided more than 50,000 COVID-19 shots thus far, according to NBC.