Hundreds roll up their sleeves during FEMA's pop-up COVID vaccine clinics in WNC
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit (MVU) administered 471 COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday at three different pop-up clinics across Western North Carolina.
According to FEMA MVU data, 236 of those vaccines were administered at the TC Roberson High School location.
The vaccines were offered free of charge for anyone age five and older, no appointment necessary. High school senior, Joseph Weinmeister said in a way, it was comforting to be in a familiar environment. Weinmeister received his booster in the middle of the cafeteria where he usually eats lunch.
SATURDAY SCHOOL CLINIC PROVIDES SENSE OF COMFORT ALONG WITH COVID-19 VACCINE FOR KIDS
“It was good,” Weinmeister said. “It’s not the worst shot I’ve ever got!”
Weinmeister said it was important for him to get the booster. His reasoning was two-fold:
“Just making sure I stay safe,” he said. “Also, my grandparents and my family that I’m going to be seeing over the holidays, making sure they’re going to be alright.”
The FEMA MVU is a collaborative effort involving North Carolina Health and Human Services, North Carolina Emergency Management, Mountain Area Health Education Center and Buncombe County Health and Human Services.
Sergeant Benjamin McMeans with the U.S. Army, helped register vaccine recipients. According to McMeans, he’s taken part in more than 40 pop-up vaccination clinics.
“We’re kind of all over the place,” McMeans said. “We have three sites going today, this is just one of them.”
Per the latest FEMA MVU data, 97 of the 236 vaccines administered at TC Roberson High School were given to children. Some like nine-year-old Eli Burton were more than willing to participate. He told news 13 he wasn’t nervous at all and he’s clear on why he’s rolling up his sleeve for his second dose.
“I’m going to see my new baby cousin in Ohio,” Burton said. “My uncle will not let me touch her if I don’t have both of my shots, so basically I wanted to get it because of that reason.”
Since the FEMA MVU began in July, they’ve administered 8,601 vaccines.
Here’s a list of some of their upcoming clinics:
December 5
- 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- UNCA – Reuter Center
- 1 University Heights
- Asheville, NC 28804
December 5
- 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Haywood Square
- North Haywood Street
- Waynesville, NC 28786
December 8
- 9:00 – 12:00 pm
- Polk Co. EM Base
- 40 Ward Street
- Columbus, NC 28722
December 9
- 9:00 – 12:00 pm
- Polk Co. EM Base
- 40 Ward Street
- Columbus, NC 28722
December 10
- 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Cashiers Rec Park
- 355 Frank Allen Road
- Cashiers, NC 28717
December 11
- 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- UNCA – Reuter Center
- 1 University Heights
- Asheville, NC 28804
December 12
- 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- UNCA – Reuter Center
- 1 University Heights
- Asheville, NC 28804