To prepare for the wave of booster shots, the city of Newport News is reopening its main coronavirus vaccination clinic that has been closed since June.
The City Council voted Tuesday night to authorize a month-to-month lease for the clinic, which will open next week, at 13785 Warwick Boulevard in the old Sherwood Shopping Center.
The Virginia Department of Health is opening the Denbigh clinic to not only administer booster shots but also for those who are not already vaccinated. It is the only state-run clinic on the Peninsula and will be operated by contractors from AshBritt-IEM Health.
The clinic will offer first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, as well as the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized single-dose Pfizer booster shots for select groups of people at least six months after completing their primary series of shots. Those eligible under the FDA’s recommendation include people older than 65, at high risk for severe COVID-19 complications and who work in an environment with frequent COVID-19 exposures.
The clinic will also offer a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination to people who have weakened immune systems.
The city will pay the Economic Development Authority $26,630.73 a month in rent with the expectation that the funds will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or another federal source.
The clinic will open Tuesday, Oct. 19, and will operate from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome, but the health department is encouraging people to register for an appointment online at vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-829-4682, Text Telephone users should call 7-1-1.
Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com
