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After winter weather forced the cancelation of several local COVID-19 vaccine clinics this week, Albemarle Regional Health Services (ARHS) has rescheduled those events for next week.

ARHS and county partners will hold drive through Moderna first dose clinics for the current priority groups (healthcare workers and individuals ages 65-and-over) on the following dates:

Bertie County: Monday, Feb. 1 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at Bertie High School, located at 715 US HWY 13 North, Windsor;

Gates County: Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at the Gates County Health Department, located at 29 Medical Center Road, Gates; and

Hertford County: Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at Roanoke-Chowan Community College, located at 109 Community College Road, Ahoskie.

“We are asking that only individuals who live in the ARHS region and meet these priority groups attend this clinic,” said R. Battle Betts Jr., ARHS Health Director. “Please help us meet the needs of our community by adhering to this guidance and supporting our public health and public safety workforce as they work to vaccinate our communities.”

Betts stressed to refrain from arriving at a clinic site before 8:30 a.m. due to safety concerns.

“If you arrive early, you may be asked by law enforcement to return to the site at 8:30 a.m. In addition, sites will stop vaccinating to provide staff and volunteers with a mid-day break. Vaccine doses will be provided on a first come, first served basis,” Betts said.

Additionally, ARHS and its county partners will hold drive through Moderna second dose clinics next week. These clinics are only opened to individuals who received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on or before Thursday, January 7. The date on your card noting when your second dose is due is the suggested date you should receive your second dose. It can be administered after that date, or four days prior to that date. The series will not need to be restarted if you receive it after that date.

Please plan to attend the second dose clinic in the county where you received your first dose. You will need to bring the vaccine card you received with your first dose with you to this clinic. If you do not have your card, you may experience additional delays, or may be turned away and rescheduled because we have to verify your first dose for your safety.

Locally, second dose clinics will be held as follows:

Bertie County: Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at Bertie High School, located at 715 US HWY 13 North, Windsor;

Gates County: Thursday, Feb. 4 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at the Gates County Health Department, located at 29 Medical Center Road, Gates; and

Hertford County: Thursday, Feb. 4 from 9-11:30 a.m. and again from 1-4 p.m. at the Ahoskie Creek Amphitheater, located at 125 Edgewood Drive, Ahoskie.

“I am grateful for everyone’s hard work and commitment, and I am thankful that we have been able to administer nearly 25,000 first doses and nearly 3,000 second doses in just four weeks,” said Betts. “The efforts shown have been recognized statewide, but unfortunately, due to limited vaccine nationwide, the ARHS region expects to see lower vaccine allocations over the coming weeks. We will continue to advocate and request as many doses as possible, however we will likely see a shift in vaccination clinic numbers. Please know your patience is crucial as we navigate this together and I look forward to the day when additional doses are available nationwide. We will meet our goals and we will reach herd immunity, but know it will take time.”