The third of four Wake County regional vaccine centers is opening up for free COVID-19 shots Tuesday, May 10. Wake County’s Southern Regional Center in Fuquay-Varina will offer appointments and walk-ins five days a week, including weekends, beginning at 11 a.m. today. This new clinic opening highlights the national shift from mass vaccination to hyper-local vaccination.

"When we stand up clinics in partnership with trusted locations in communities like churches or our existing regional service centers, we’ve seen it help build confidence and convenience for people to get vaccinated,” said Richard Hayner, Director of the Wake County Southern Regional Center. "We knew there were access barriers to traveling to large vaccination sites, and that access is why these regional centers exist in the first place – to bring services closer to the community. We already offer numerous county services like job, tax, election and other human services assistance, so we’re glad our center is now part of this transition to community vaccine clinics, too.”

On Tuesday, the Southern Regional Center will offer Moderna vaccine from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for a soft opening. On Wednesday, the clinic will begin the following regular weekly schedule:

Vaccine appointments have already been filling up daily at the Wake County Human Services Center on Departure Drive in northeast Raleigh and the Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest. The Eastern Regional Center in Zebulon will open its vaccine clinic on Tuesday, May 25.

In addition to opening the regional vaccine centers, Wake County is continuing to offer outreach and pop-up partnership events throughout the county. Here are several happening this week:

• North Carolina Department of Administration 
  116 W. Jones St., Raleigh 
  Tuesday, May 11, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  Moderna
• Wendell Community Center (drive-thru) 
  601 W. Third St., Wendell 
  Wed.–Sat., May 12–15
  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (each day)
  Johnson & Johnson
• NAACP at Solid Rock Church 
  401 Creech Road, Garner 
  Wednesday, May 12, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.  
  Moderna 
• Smithdale Apartments 
  624 Smithdale Drive, Raleigh 
  Saturday, May 15
  11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  Moderna
   

***Reference the FDA approval of Pfizer for those ages 12–15:  
Wake County Public Health anticipates the ACIP will meet on Wednesday to review the usage of Pfizer for those 12–15 years old, and the CDC will follow with an approval. Once all approvals are obtained, the Wake County team will re-evaluate preparations to vaccinate this age group and ensure those plans are in alignment with federal and state guidance. Parents should be able to make appointments or walk into any of our Pfizer clinics the day after the approval, likely Thursday. Currently, the two clinics administering Pfizer are the Wake County Public Health Center and the Wake County Human Services Center at Departure. Parents will be encouraged to schedule an appointment to help ensure wait times are minimal.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at any of our Wake County clinics by appointment or walk-in. The process usually only takes a half-hour, including the 15-minute observation period after the shot. Anyone can check out the free clinic schedule or pick a spot for their shot by going to WakeGov.com/vaccine or by calling the vaccine hotline at 888-675-4567.