CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — From bargains to boosters -- medical experts transformed old retail space of Hull Street Road in Chesterfield to help tackle and beat the coronavirus.
CBS 6 toured the new Community Vaccination Clinic (CVC) located in the Rockwood Shopping Center with Brookie Crawford of the Virginia Department of Health.
In the former Big Lots space, tall black curtains separate tables where nurses and staff will administer Pfizer booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as vaccinations to children 12 years and older.
“We are planning for 250 [doses] right now but obviously we made room so we could scale up if the needs are there,” Crawford explained.
Since July, the site was used by the Chesterfield Health District to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
Health Director Dr. Alex Samuel said their goal now is to encourage vaccinations for individuals who have not been vaccinated, but also to provide booster doses for those who are eligible.
The CDC recommends the Pfizer booster shot for people 65 years and older, individuals 18 years and older with underlying medical conditions, and those in certain job fields like education and hospitals.
There are also “kid pods” available for their younger patients or someone who desires additional privacy. They anticipate more children getting their vaccinations as the federal government weighs whether to make children five years and older eligible for the shot.
Samuel said that decision could be made as early as November.
This clinic is unique in that the state is outsourcing the work and employees to a third-party contractor that specializes in emergency management.
“It’s a really good win-win circumstance for both the public at large and our staff, which allow us to do more community engagement work,” Samuel said.
The CVC will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Crawford said 50 people have made appointments for the clinics first day on Saturday.
While walk-ins are accepted, she encouraged people to make appointments as other clinics that recently opened saw hundreds of walk-ins on the first day.
Samuel said COVID-19 testing will no longer be provided at the Rockwood Shopping Center. He said his team is working to add additional testing sites throughout the county in the upcoming weeks.
Virginians age 12+ are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Pre-registration is no longer required,so go to Vaccine Finderto search for specific vaccines available near you or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343).
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
How to Protect Yourself and Others When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.
These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.
Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.