Benson, NC – A COVID-19 vaccine clinic at West Johnston High School reached capacity on Wednesday just 10 minutes after opening.
The cars were in line for the clinic before 6 in the morning, and the lines became longer throughout the morning. At 10:10 in the morning, the staff had to return the cars.
The clinic, which has hosted previous events, has been praised by community members in recent weeks for its effectiveness in rapidly vaccinating people. As a result, health officials in Wake, Harnett and Wilson counties studied his procedure.
The drive-thru clinic was opened at 10 a.m., first come, first served. No meetings were required, but only those seeking the first doses of vaccine were allowed to attend.
Another COVID-19 vaccine clinic opens Wednesday in Fayetteville at 9 a.m. at the Crown Expo Center. Vaccines will be available there for people who need the first and second dose of vaccine.
Before 1 p.m., appointments must be made online for the clinic. After 1 p.m., vaccines will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
In the Triangle, the administration of the vaccine is ongoing, but it is a slower process. Wake County received 3,900 doses of Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday and will receive the same amount for each of the next two weeks, but the number is less than half of what the county requested.
On Monday morning, more than 80,000 people were still on the waiting list for vaccination in Wake County.
Officials in Wake and Durham counties are finalizing plans for similar high-capacity vaccination events in Research Triangle Park and possibly at PNC Arena in Raleigh. State officials should approve the plan and allocate doses to make this possible.
The state distributes about 90,000 doses a week between health departments and hospitals, giving each a basic amount. The remaining 55,000 doses per week will be sent to communities with large numbers of people over the age of 65 and low-income or living in rural or marginalized communities, officials said.
Some doses will also be targeted at high-capacity vaccination clinics, such as one held Saturday and Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, where more than 20,000 people were shot – about 800 per hour. .