LYNCHBURG, Va. – The City of Lynchburg announced Friday plans for a regional vaccination center.
“We know that there’s some folks who have heard about it, and we wanted to make sure we told it first,” said Reid Wodicka, Lynchburg’s interim city manager.
City and health leaders have an agreement with Liberty University, which owns Candler’s Station shopping center, to convert the old TJ Maxx.
Wodicka says the location is key because it’s accessible to public transportation and Route 460. Anyone in the Central Virginia Health District will be able to utilize it.
“We just got access to the facility earlier this week, so our team has been over there mapping out the site and what it’s going to look like,” said Wodicka.
But there’s no date set for when the site will open. Dr. Keith Anderson, LU’s health and wellness director, said that’s because the health district doesn’t have enough vaccines yet.
“We’re all standing ready so that when the supply chain, the vaccine is available, that we’ll be able to address the needs of our community,” said Anderson.
Ad
The need in the community is mounting and so is frustration.
Lynchburg resident Gene Wills qualifies in Phase 1b. The 70-year-old said he received a call three weeks ago to schedule his vaccine appointments for February and March 10th; only to have them canceled this week due to lack of supply.
“I was kind of curious where the heck the vaccine went. If they scheduled you, you would’ve thought you’d have at least a shot at getting a shot,” said Wills.
Wodicka said city and health officials are asking for patience.
“Don’t come yet to this site because we don’t have it open yet. We don’t have enough vaccine to sustain it. When it is time, we will certainly publicize that and be ready.”
Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
