Chesterfield County was one of a handful of local health districts that partnered with state agencies to open a community vaccination clinic last week.
The clinics have experienced some hiccups, most notably reports of individuals getting shots without a required appointment. And attendees have complained of long lines.
But, they’ve also meant faster vaccinations, and county executives say their actual timeline will be considerably faster than previously expected.
According to Chesterfield’s expanded vaccination dashboard, which shows data on shot distribution and administration, the county has at least partially vaccinated nearly 49% of the people it says it needs to. At the time of publication, the data was current up to March 24 due to normal reporting lag.
Chesterfield’s goal is to vaccinate at least 75% of people 18 and older, which the Virginia Department of Health says would constitute herd immunity, or the point at which mass spread of a disease becomes unlikely.
County Administrator Joe Casey gave that update to the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.
“Our estimated goal date - as far as when we will hit that target vaccination goal - has dropped from August 23 to now May 25,” Casey said.
He pointed to the mass vaccination clinic at Virginia State University, “which has now vaccinated 16,600 people just over the last six days,” as an example of new strategies and vaccination opportunities the county is pursuing. Since then, the clinic has vaccinated another 6,000 people.
Casey says if the trend continues, Chesterfield could meet their goal even sooner.
You can preregister for a COVID-19 vaccine on vaccinate.virginia.gov, or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).
This article was updated with newer numbers from the county dashboard on March 26.
