GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The public got a first look at the first site where Guilford County will start vaccinations after the county receives its first shipment later this week.
One of the rooms in the Bur-Mil Clubhouse off Battleground Avenue, now filled with chairs spaced apart and privacy screens with tables as vaccination stations.
In the area with chairs, people will wait for 15 minutes after getting the vaccine to make sure they don't have any severe reactions.
Guilford County Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann said the health department expects about 2,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine to get here at some point this week.
Vann said she's being told shipments could come more frequently after that.
Vaccinations will start for those at the highest risk of being exposed to COVID-19, once that shipment comes in, likely the first couple of days after Christmas.
"We really needed to find a location that we could have for at least 28 days more than likely 45 days to 2 months," said Guilford County Emergency Management Director Don Campbell.
Campbell said they did a practice run at the location to make sure all of the moving pieces are in place to make everything go smoothly when vaccines finally start.
"The goal is to definitely vaccinate individuals as quickly as we possibly can," said Campbell, "We don't want it waiting on the shelf."
The state of North Carolina set up a vaccine management system for counties to track who needs which dose. Pfizer's second dose is needed 21 days after the first, and Moderna's second dose is needed 28 days after the first dose.
Campbell said the county will use that database system to keep track of that information.
Campbell said as time goes on, the county will set up more vaccination sites.
"Our intent is that when we have enough vaccine to move into Phase 1B and Phase 2 with more general population well be setting up more additional sites that are easier to access and are really in the neighborhoods for more people to get to them pretty quickly," he said.