NORFOLK, Va. - Walmart began mass vaccination clinics at two off-site locations this week in Hampton Roads, the state's vaccination coordinator said Friday.
The vaccinations are happening in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, but Dr. Danny Avula did not provide the exact locations.
The clinics are by appointment only and are prioritizing people 65 and older. Each site is getting about 1,200 doses from Pfizer to split over three days. People who pre-registered through the state's vaccination database are being called to set up appointments.
"We could use it all. They're fantastic partners, and obviously are reaching areas where we need additional vaccination capacity," Avula said in a call with reporters.
Avula added he's not sure exactly how long Walmart will be doing the clinics. They're receiving the doses from the federal government through a partnership with several other pharmacies, includingWalgreens and CVS.
"The great thing about this is off-site clinics will allow Walmart to vaccinate a few hundred people a day and it will allow them to choose different locations each week based on need," said Gov. Ralph Northam during a press conference on Wednesday.
Virginia is also anticipating the FDA approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and health officials expect the state to receive 69,000 doses of the vaccine if it gets approval over the weekend.
In addition, Pfizer and Moderna are sending the state 180,000 first doses next week. The Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership will get another 52,000 shots to administer, as well.
