Military Circle Mall vaccination clinic will continue as regional hub

Norfolk — While most mass vaccination clinics are shutting their doors in Hampton Roads, at least one will remain as a regional hub to inoculate people against COVID-19.

The Virginia Department of Health will collaborate with Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Chesapeake to keep the clinic at Military Circle Mall going semiweekly through the end of July and possibly longer. Public health officials are working on additional funding sources.

Both two-dose vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, as well as the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available.

Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrapped up its Norfolk clinic May 22, the local health department has continued using the old Macy’s building two days a week, said Dr. Parham Jaberi, the interim health director for Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Though that hasn’t been prominently advertised, staff have been there to finish some second doses while also offering Pfizer shots to teens, many of whom just became eligible.

Previously, Jaberi said he was in talks with the Virginia Unified Command to keep the site open, particularly given Norfolk’s slight vaccination coverage compared with other cities and counties in Eastern Virginia. Norfolk and Portsmouth continue to have the lowest levels of vaccinated residents in Hampton Roads, with 37% and 39% of their populations fully inoculated, respectively, as of Friday.

Earlier this week, state officials announced the clinic at the Virginia Beach Convention Center would be closing.

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“While our larger emergency response efforts are coming to a close across the state, I’m grateful for the contributions of our health departments and cities and localities in the Eastern Region to continue supporting this additional effort at the Military Circle Mall to get as many residents as possible vaccinated in this region,” Jaberi said in an email Friday.

Clinics will be from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays.

The vaccines are free. People who enter the site, at 880 N. Military Hwy. in Norfolk, must wear masks.

Appointments are encouraged but not required, local public health officials said. To schedule a time, go to the following links for the upcoming clinics.

Tuesday June 22: https://vaccineappointments.virginia.gov/appointment/en/reg/3205915065
Thursday June 24: https://vaccineappointments.virginia.gov/appointment/en/reg/1560324905

People seeking second doses should bring their COVID-19 vaccination record cards. Replacements can be ordered at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/immunization-record-request-form.

For more information, call Norfolk’s COVID-19 hotline, at 757-683-2745.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com