Durham, NC – As Durham County leaders look for a place to host a series of mass vaccination events in the coming weeks and months, Research Triangle Foundation would be “happy to be a host for this,” said President and CEO Scott Levitan.
Durham Public Health Director Rodney Jenkins said the state of North Carolina and Fidelity are on the verge of reaching an agreement for a location, though neither party would offer details on Tuesday. Fidelity has an important footprint in Research Triangle Park, a location with easy road access and plenty of space for car events.
“They needed a lot of space to really get vaccinated. They needed a recovery space. They needed parking. There was a desire to have easy access to I-40 so they could serve several communities,” Levitan said.
Duke Health would provide clinical support for the event once the logistics have been worked out, a spokeswoman said.
“We are thrilled with the potential to work together to expand our vaccination capacity here in Durham with the opening of our first mass vaccination site,” Jenkins said. “We are still working on details such as operating hours, appointment scheduling and other logistical considerations, but our goal is to open it to the public in the first weeks of February.”
The county said Tuesday that a massive site would have the capacity to vaccinate up to 17,000 people a week.
“We will do everything we can to streamline the setup and find a place that works for the county and state,” Levitan said.
Healthcare provider OptumServe is exploring locations with Durham public schools in hopes of vaccinating about 1,100 people a day.
“I can’t wait. I would get it today,” said Marjorie Strauss, a Durham resident. “The vaccine can’t get there fast enough.”
Rachel Sanders agreed.
“Durham is right in the middle,” he noted. “It’s good for Cary, for Chapel Hill.”
Lydia Chitwood, a resident of Chapel Hill, had no hesitation in making this trip.
“I would definitely be thrilled by a crowded venue and would definitely come to Durham if that were the case,” he said.
Coronavirus vaccines in NC
