GREENSBORO, N.C. — The newest coronavirus vaccination clinic in Guilford County is set to open as providers slowly increase across the state.
North Carolina A&T State University will become the first in the UNC system to offer a vaccine clinic on Thursday.
The University is partnering with Guilford County and Cone Health to put on the clinic. Appointments went to healthcare workers and people age 65 and up as permitted under the state's vaccination plan.
All 200 appointments for the first clinic are full.
"This would include people that are mainly on campus this first time in this cooperative venture but as we continue to do this weekly, it will extend to the rest of the community at large," Dr. Robert Doolittle said.
Dr. Doolittle is the Medical Director at the University's Student Health Center.
Cone Health supplied the vaccines and will be helping to run the first clinic.
"They've been over here to give us instruction in person in terms of setting up our site. It's been wonderful. They've solved so many of the problems that go into rolling this out," Dr. Doolittle said.
The clinic will be held weekly and appointments can be made online here.
Dr. Doolittle said the hope is to increase the size of the clinic when vaccine supply increases.
"(The site) could easily handle doubling the volume," Dr. Doolittle said, "Getting everyone vaccinated is such a large order that we'll still be doing this into the summer and into the fall."
Dr. Doolittle said the University is planning a mass vaccination event in the spring. It could be held inside Truist Stadium.
He also said the clinic is strategically placed to serve an area of Greensboro that is disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.
"Southeast Greensboro is a relative desert in terms of medical care practice sites, or places vaccines could be administered," Dr. Doolittle said.
"We know how important it is for people to have a location that they are comfortable with," Don Campbell said.
Campbell is the Guilford County Emergency Management Director.
The clinic at NC A&T is not the only one coming to the area. Walgreens will start vaccinations at 300 North Carolina stores Friday.
Guilford County Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann said Walgreens will offer vaccinations at 19 Guilford County locations.
Twelve of those sites will be in Greensboro and High Point will have four.
A Walgreens location in Summerfield will also offer vaccines along with two stores in Jamestown.
Vaccine seekers can find the exact locations when registering on the Walgreens website here.