Durham, NC – As Durham County leaders look for a place to host a series of mass vaccination events in the coming weeks and months, the Research Triangle Foundation would be “happy to host it,” said President and CEO Scott Levitan.
Durham Director of Public Health Rodney Jenkins said North Carolina State and Fidelity are close to reaching an agreement for a site, although neither side would provide information on Tuesday. Fidelity has a large footprint in Research Triangle Park, a location with easy access to the highway and plenty of space for a drive-through event.
“They needed a large space for effective vaccinations. They needed a recovery space. They needed parking. It was the desire to have easy access to I-40 so that it could serve more communities,” Levitan said.
Duke Health will provide clinical support for the event once the logistics are developed, a spokeswoman said.
“We are excited about the potential of working together to expand our vaccination capacity here in Durham with the opening of our first mass vaccination site,” said Jenkins. “We are still working on details such as operating hours, scheduling and other logistical considerations, but our goal is to open to the public in the first weeks of February.
The county said Tuesday that a mass site will have the capacity to vaccinate up to 17,000 people a week.
“We will do everything possible to speed up the setup and find a site that works for the county and state,” Levitan said.
Healthcare provider OptumServe is looking for locations with public schools in Durham, hoping to vaccinate about 1,100 people a day.
“I can’t wait. I would get it today,” said Marjorie Strauss, a Durham resident. “The vaccine can’t come fast enough.”
Rachel Sanders agreed.
“Durham is right in the middle,” she said. “It’s good for Cary, for Chapel Hill.”
Lydia Chitwood, a resident of Chapel Hill, had no hesitation in making that trip.
“I would definitely love a place to eat and I would definitely come to Durham if that was the case,” she said.
Coronavirus vaccinations in NC
