Despite short wait, extended hours organizers struggle to deplete COVID-19 vaccine supply at drive-thru clinic

Despite short wait, extended hours, organizers struggle to deplete COVID-19 vaccine supply at Johnston County drive-thru clinic

A drive-thru clinic for first doses of the Moderna vaccine at North Johnston High School reported short wait times and plenty of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday. Organizers wanted to use all 2,000 doses but said they struggled to do that on Wednesday.

No appointment was needed for the event at 5915 U.S. Highway 301 in Kenly, which was open to senior citizens 65 and older, health workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities. The clinic opened at 8:45 a.m. and extended its hours until 4 p.m. after it hadn’t run out of vaccine when it was originally supposed to end at 2 p.m.

"They're basically no good once you puncture them. We don't want to open a vial if we don't have enough people to receive a vaccine out of that vial," explained Lu Hickey, the Johnston County Public Health Department public information officer.

Dianne Otey, 74, and her husband drove an hour from Fuquay-Varina to Selma to receive the vaccine.

"I've been trying online, on the phone, for a month, and I couldn't make any progress. I even tried the Walgreens app and that crashed," explained Otey.

Howard Rogers, who lives in Raleigh, also crossed county lines to receive the vaccine.

"We're on five different [wait] lists ... when we get in touch with them, they say, ‘we're out,’" explained Rogers. "You just got to keep trying [and] be as patient as you can."

Hickey said the county has been holding vaccination clinics in different locations.

"Typically [the vaccine clinics] are at high schools because they have a larger footprint and they have more space you can work with to get more vehicles in," she added. "This area is the top part of our county, and what we tried to do [is] to get all the sections of our county, and we're back here a second time trying to get as many of those folks we weren't able to get the first time."

Hickey said the goal is for residents to not have to drive from one end of the county to the other.

"It's very exciting to see folks coming out [and] wanting that vaccine. We're looking forward to being able to provide the second doses for the folks that come out, as well," she said.

State officials have said Johnston County is struggling to vaccinate communities of color, especially Hispanics.

"We're still in the red zone, but our numbers are coming down," said Hickey.

Another drive-thru clinic opened in Fayetteville at 9 a.m. the Crown Complex for people who need either a first or second dose of the vaccine.

In Wilson, a second-dose vaccine clinic was open Wednesday at Fike High School at 500 Harrison Drive. The event is for people who already received their first dose at that location.

Get more vaccination information in your area.