NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A mass vaccination site run by FEMA is opening up in Norfolk, and volunteers are needed to help.
The Community Vaccination Center (CVC) location at Military Circle Mall will open for full capacity on Wednesday, March 31, but will start some vaccinations on Monday, March 29. The clinic will be open daily from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. for eight weeks, the White House says, and will get shots to people from all of the seven cities and some local counties.
The city had already been using the mall as a vaccination site since early February, but that was run by the local health department and not federal partners.
Volunteer Hampton Roads and FEMA will administer about 3,000 doses per day at full capacity. You’ll still need to be eligible for the vaccine (Hampton Roads is still in phase 1b but could move to 1c very soon) and on the state’s pre-registration list.
If you want to get the vaccine, you must register at https://vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 1-877-VAX-IN VA (1-877-829-4682), 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. If you’re eligible, you’ll be contacted for an appointment.
“We are excited to welcome FEMA to Norfolk’s Military Circle Mall vaccination site as a critical partner in the effort to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19,” Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander said. “The support, resources and presence of the federal government are greatly appreciated, and we are thankful that our most vulnerable residents will be prioritized.”
It’s one of several similar sites in Virginia, with others in Portsmouth, Petersburg, etc. The federal government says it was selected due to its central location and other criteria such as socioeconomic status, minority status, languages, etc.
The site will mostly use federal staff, but about 50 to 60 volunteers will be needed per day over the eight weeks the center will be open to help with non-clinical duties such as greeting, registration and observation, Volunteer Hampton Roads says. There will be two different shifts from 8:30 a.m – 7:30 p.m. To register, visit www.VolunteerHR.org.