New Major Vaccination Center Opens At Former Norfolk Macy’s

NORFOLK
Norfolk is the site of a new major community vaccination center (CVC), thanks to a partnership between the city, state and the federal governments. The CVC is expected to draw eligible populations from several metro counties and cities including Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News.

  The CVC is located at the former Macy’s store at the Military Circle Mall and is an expansion of  a CVC that had been operating at the site. Approximately 3,000 shots a day may be administered during hours of operation, seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Interested persons must register for an appointment at https://vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 1-877-VAX-IN VA (1-877-829-4682), 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Language translation is available, TTY users dial 7-1-1. Please note that there are no walk-up appointments available, and individuals who show up without a scheduled appointment will not receive a vaccine.

  The White House has deployed federal teams to work hand-in-hand with the state and local jurisdictions at the site which opened Wednesday, March 31.

  During the pilot period, the federal government will provide limited direct vaccine allocation to the CVC through FEMA—as is done through federal entities for other federal programs.

  The site was identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. This tool was created to help identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The index takes into consideration socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation.

  Site considerations for the Military Circle Mall location included its convenient location near multiple major highways and four bus routes; accessibility by car, with a variety of passenger drop-off areas and parking options; and the Mall’s central location to over 1.7 million people across 14 nearby localities. Existing contracts through the City of Norfolk for supporting services, such as security, emergency medical services, medical waste, and catering, also enabled a timely start up.