Durham, NC – As Durham County leaders are looking for a place to host a series of massive vaccination events over the coming weeks and months, the Research Triangle Foundation “would be happy to host them,” said President and CEO Scott Levitan.
Rodney Jenkins, director of Durham Public Health, said the state of North Carolina and Fidelity are on the verge of reaching an agreement for a site, although neither side would provide specific information Tuesday. Fidelity has a large footprint in Research Triangle Park, a location with easy access to the highway and plenty of room for a drive-thru event.
“They needed a large space for actual vaccinations. They needed a recovery room. They needed parking. There was a desire to have easy access to I-40 so they could serve multiple communities,” Levitan said.
Duke Health would provide clinical support for the event once logistics are worked out, a spokeswoman said.
“We are delighted with the potential to work 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 the details such as opening hours, appointment scheduling and other logistics considerations, but our goal is to open to the public in early February.”
The province said Tuesday that a mass site would have the ability to vaccinate up to 17,000 people per week.
“We will do everything we can to speed up installation and find a site that is suitable for the province and the state,” said Levitan.
Healthcare provider OptumServe scout sites with Durham Public Schools hoping to vaccinate about 1,100 people a day.
“I can’t wait. I was going to 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 noted. “It’s good for Cary, for Chapel Hill.”
Lydia Chitwood, a resident of Chapel Hill, had no qualms about making that trip.
“I would certainly be excited about a mass site and would definitely come to Durham if it were,” she said.
Vaccinations against the coronavirus in NC
