Durham, NC – Plans for a mass vaccination site for COVID-19 in Durham have been suspended.
Durham County Health Director Rodney Jenkins said the state is not providing the county with enough vaccines to support the site, which is supposed to help vaccinate up to 17,000 people a week.
“It is not the best news we want to hear, but I am confident that when supplies become a little more robust, he will come back,” said Jenkins, adding that the planning was only interrupted.
The state of North Carolina, which currently receives 145,000 first doses of the coronavirus vaccine each week, said the federal government’s supply is coming very slowly.
On January 26, the Research Triangle Foundation said it would be “happy to host” the site. The site would be able to vaccinate up to 17,000 people a week.
“We will certainly look at mobile testing, but it will depend on the number of vaccines we receive,” said Jenkins. “There is not much we can do with 1,300 doses.”
Jenkins said that while the state gives the opportunity to obtain additional doses for events, it must be pre-planned and presented.
“You have to present it for consideration for an additional vaccine and it is not guaranteed,” he explained.
The delay at the Durham mass vaccination site comes days before 2,100 people are vaccinated at the PNC Arena in Wake County.