SUFFOLK, Va. — A mass vaccination site is coming to Suffolk. It will be similar to what just opened in Portsmouth.
Western Tidewater Health District officials said they are shooting to open next month and pump way more shots into arms than they were before.
“It’s been weeks and weeks of planning to get it to a point where we can actually turn it on,” said WTHD Emergency Manager Will Drewery.
Suffolk is the latest city selected by Virginia Health officials to host a federally funded vaccination clinic.
“It doesn’t just serve Suffolk, it serves the entire health district,” Drewery said.
The community vaccination center will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Suffolk. Officials said operations are set to start the first week of April.
“It is a big deal for us,” Drewery said. “One-thousand vaccines a day for five or six days a week.”
Drewery said the site will serve an equity purpose in the region, but also help them catch up to other cities.
Right now, VDH data shows there are about 9,000 fully vaccinated people in Suffolk, compared to more than 22,000 in Chesapeake and 45,000 in Virginia Beach.
“It’s something we are excited about having over here,” Drewery said.
Supplies and staffing for the site will come from a rapid-response contractor, AshBritt.
“This is going to be a turnkey event,” said the city of Suffolk’s Emergency Manager Brian Spicer. “Where the vendor brings all of the resources needed to administer the vaccine.”
Spicer is also Suffolk’s Deputy Fire Chief. He said the center will free up vaccination resources across the region to reach targeted groups like minorities and seniors.
“For example, tomorrow and Friday we are visiting Meals on Wheels homes to take vaccinations to these folks in their homes,” Spicer said.
Drewery said the site’s arrival won’t pause any of the health department's efforts.
“It’s certainly a relief,” Drewery said. “We have a demonstrated capacity to do a certain number of vaccinations a week. And we are going to continue to do that. This is just going to be in addition to what we are already doing.”
He couldn’t give a timeline for when they’ll transition to Phase 1c but said it’s not far off.