Durham, NC – Plans for a massive COVID-19 vaccination site in Durham have been shelved.
Rodney Jenkins, director of Durham County Health, said the state is not supplying enough vaccines to the county to support the site, which is believed to vaccinate up to 17,000 people per week.
“It’s not the best news we want to hear, but I’m sure when stocks get a little bit more robust, it will continue again,” Jenkins said, adding that the planning has only been paused.
The state of North Carolina, which currently receives 145,000 first doses of coronavirus vaccine every week, said the supply from the federal government is coming in too slowly.
On Jan. 26, the Research Triangle Foundation said they “would like to host” the site. The site could vaccinate up to 17,000 people per week.
“We will certainly look at mobile testing, but it will depend on the number of vaccines we get,” said Jenkins. “There isn’t much we can do with 1,300 doses.”
Jenkins said that while the state offers the option of getting additional doses for events, it should be planned and presented in advance.
“You have to submit it for consideration for a supplemental vaccine and it is not guaranteed,” he explained.
The delay for Durham’s mass vaccination site comes days before 2,100 people will be vaccinated at PNC Arena in Wake County.