WHYY
Camden, N.J.’s BB&T Pavilion is currently being used as a COVID-19 FEMA vaccination site.
Camden County has administered more than 186,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, with appointments at both county-run sites currently booked through the fall.
The sites at Camden County College in Blackwood and the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center in Camden are booked through October, according to county spokesperson Dan Keashen.
He adds that the Blackwood site has had a no-show rate of only about 2% over the last two weeks. The Kroc Center has been in operation for about a month and has vaccinated 2,300 residents so far. Keashen said appointments are confirmed the day of and adds that anyone age 65 and older is being prioritized for sooner appointments that become available as a result of others not being able to make appointments.
While FEMA’s vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia opened for an eight-week run to much fanfare, the federal agency more quietly opened another site at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden for two weeks and is set to close on Friday. Appointments are still available, according to officials.
A line formed outside the entertainment venue on Monday before its 1 p.m. opening. Some in line said they needed to get vaccinated for their jobs or because they live with older relatives. But many said they did not hesitate to sign up for appointments.
“[I] just want to get back to normal,” said Luke Schermann, of Pennsauken.