Selma, NC – Despite short waits, long hours, organizers struggle to deplete COVID-19 vaccine supply at Johnston County drive-thru clinic
A drive-thru clinic for the first doses of the Moderna vaccine at North Johnston High School reported short waits and many COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday. Organizers wanted to use all 2,000 doses, but said they had difficulty with that on Wednesday.
No appointment was required for the event at 5915 US Highway 301 in Kenly, which was open to seniors 65 and older, health professionals and staff and residents of long-term care facilities. The clinic opened at 8:45 AM and extended its hours to 4 PM after the vaccine ran out, when it was originally scheduled to end at 2 PM.
“They’re basically no good once you pop them. We don’t want to open a vial if we don’t have enough people to get a vaccine from that vial,” explains Lu Hickey, Johnston County’s public health department. Information employee.
Dianne Otey, 74, and her husband drove an hour from Fuquay-Varina to Selma to receive the vaccine.
“I’ve been trying online for a month, on the phone, and couldn’t make any progress. I even tried the Walgreens app and it crashed,” explains Otey.
Howard Rogers, who lives in Raleigh, also crossed county lines to get the vaccine.
“We are on five different [wait] lists … when we contact them, they say, ‘we’re out,’ Rogers explained. You just have to keep trying [and] please be as patient as you can. ”
Hickey said the county has held vaccination clinics in several locations.
“Typical [the vaccine clinics] are in high schools because they have a bigger footprint and they have more room to work with to get more vehicles in, “she added.” This area is the top part of our province, and what we’ve been trying to do [is] to get all parts of our province, and we’re back here a second time, trying to get as many of those people as possible that we couldn’t get the first time. ”
Hickey said the goal is for residents not to have to drive from one end of the county to the other.
“It’s very exciting to see people come out [and] want that vaccine. We look forward to also giving the second dose to the people coming out, ”she said.
State officials have said Johnston County has struggled to vaccinate communities of color, especially Hispanics.
“We are still in the red zone, but our numbers are falling,” said Hickey.
Another drive-thru clinic opened the Crown Complex at 9am in Fayetteville for people needing a first or second dose of the vaccine.
In Wilson, a second-dose vaccination clinic was open at Fike High School at 500 Harrison Drive on Wednesday. The event is for people who have already received their first dose at that location.
Get more vaccination information near you.