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GATES – A partnership between five agencies will offer COVID-19 vaccinations from 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Thursday, June 24 at the Gates County Health Department.

The vaccines will be administered via a drive-thru clinic held in the parking lot of the health department, located at 29 Medical Center Road.

The Pfizer vaccine will be administered, meaning those ages 12-and-over are eligible to receive their first dose. Second doses will be available at a follow-up event on July 15.

Next week’s event also features free food and prizes, to include drawings for a Lenovo laptop computer and gift cards.

The vaccine clinic is organized by Disability Rights NC through their work on Project ACCESS (All Communities Count Equitably for Safety and Support).

“It’s an initiative we created to provide access to vaccines with financial support from the Administration on Community Living, the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the UNC Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities,” said Disability Rights NC spokesperson Cas Shearin. “We are thrilled to work with local partners who are also working hard to make this event a success: Albemarle Regional Health Services, Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, Albemarle Commission Area Agency on Aging, and the Gates County Inter-Regional Transportation System (GITS).”

Shearin added that if anyone needs transportation, GITS is offering free rides. However, those rides must be scheduled in advance. Call 252-357-4487 to schedule a free ride.

For anyone who is unable to leave their home that day and needs a vaccine, Shearin said arrangements can be made for home delivery by staffer with Albemarle Regional Health and Sentara Albemarle Medical Center. Call 919-227-3952 or 877-235-4210 or TTY 771.

“Please call in advance so we can schedule that home visit,” Shearin stated.

Disability Rights NC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only organization that provides free legal advocacy services to people with all types of disabilities, of all ages, throughout North Carolina. They are the state’s designated protection and advocacy agency and recognized leader in advancing disability rights.

More information about the agency and the work they do can be found on their website: www.disabilityrightsnc.org.