COVID vaccine megasite in Durham could give 17,000 shots a week

A megasite that could vaccinate 17,000 people against the coronavirus per week could open in Durham early next month.

The state and Fidelity Investments are finalizing a deal to open the mass-vaccination clinic at a yet-to-be announced location.

“We are still working out the details such as hours of operation, appointment scheduling, and other logistical considerations, but it is our goal to open to the public in the early weeks of February,” Durham County Health Director Rod Jenkins said in a news release Tuesday.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the N.C. Department Health and Human Services, requested the site be placed in Durham, Jenkins told the county commissioners Monday night.

“A lot of our residents have been asking, you know, ‘Are we going to have some additional sites?’” he said. “And the answer is yes.”

Durham County had recorded 19,016 total COVID-19 cases and 180 total deaths as of Monday, according to the county’s website.

The estimated percentage of positive coronavirus tests from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16, the latest week for which data was available, was about 8.4%.

That was down from a post-Christmas week high of 11.3% but still above the 5% or lower rate that state health officials want to see.

The mass vaccination site will be open to both Durham County residents and non-residents, health department spokesperson Alecia Smith said in an email to The News & Observer.

Jenkins had said the megasite could vaccinate “anywhere from 45,000 of our residents per week” Monday night, but the county revised that to “17,000 individuals” per week in its release Tuesday.

Vaccination appointments

Health departments in counties across the Triangle are allowing some residents to set up appointments for their shot.

In Durham County, residents can schedule an appointment through a hotline, 919-560-HELP (4357), or online (tinyurl.com/DCoVaccineAppointments). No walk-ins are allowed.

Wake County residents can fill out an online form or call a phone number through the county’s public health website to get on their vaccination waiting list.

Orange County offers vaccinations through an online form or phone line as well.

Vaccine supply issues in the Triangle

Durham County has enough vaccines to administer first doses for the rest of this week, Jenkins said.

In a conference call with Cohen and Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry, he heard that the county “had been all but guaranteed” to receive a vaccine supply for the next three weeks.

Some providers in the state have used up their vaccine supply or are running low, including the Orange County Health Department.

On Monday, DHHS said it had asked providers to ramp up vaccine distribution and set up mass vaccination events to help maintain the roughly 120,000 first doses the state receives each week, The N&O reported.

Jenkins said the county has vaccinated approximately 4,100 individuals from neighboring counties.

“This is a vaccine without borders, and we welcome them,” he said. “They schedule an appointment, we do our best to oblige.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 9:01 AM.