CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Thousands of people waited in line at Virginia State University to get vaccinated.
The Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management partnered to open a Community Vaccination Clinic today in VSU’s multi-purpose center. They plan to administer 6,000 shots a day.
George Bennett, who received the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday, said he waited in line for about 30 minutes.
“People were grumbling waiting in line, but the line moved,” Bennett said. “So if the line moves then everything’s fine.”
According to Bennett, taking another step towards herd immunity outweighs standing in line for a long time.
“It’s something everybody has to do,” he said. “Herd immunity is what we’re looking for right now and I’ve been waiting for a while.”
Organizers urge patients to arrive at the doors 20 minutes before their scheduled appointment to get through the lines quickly.
Workers helping out with the event said they’re not able to provide a seat for older adults standing outside for a long period of time.
The availability of chairs and the far distance of the line prevents them from giving them out.
However, workers can check on those with walkers as best they can and can move patients in wheelchairs closer to the front.
Organizers said once people reach the doors, the wait time is about four to seven minutes.
Mackenzie Blackwell is already fully vaccinated because she’s a first responder. She works with the Richmond Ambulance Authority and made sure she wouldn’t get her grandmother sick.
“It’s nice having an extra layer of protection,” she said.
She accompanied her grandmother today as she received her first shot of the vaccine.
“It makes me feel a lot more comfortable with her going out in public nowadays because she is one of the higher risk patients because she has immune disorders.
