• By Todd Luck
• Posted Saturday, December 18, 2021

Forsyth Public Health continues to offer COVID shots after 137 community vaccination events

Forsyth County Department Public Health is holding its last COVID-19 community vaccination event of the year at Christmas for the City and continues to offer COVID shots at the health department.

Walk-ups are being taken for ages 12 and up from 12-6 p.m. today during Christmas for the City at the Benton Convention Center, 301 W 5th St. in Winston-Salem. The health department is also holding its last scheduled Saturday devoted to vaccination appointments for ages 5-`11 today from 9 a.m.-noon.

Appointments can be made at Bit.Ly/FCNCCovidVaccine or by calling 336-582-0800 from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Mon-Fri. COVID vaccination appointments for ages 5 and up are held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Public Health Department, 799 N. Highland Ave.

Vaccinations are also widely available from many providers in the community, including pharmacies. To find the closest provider, visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.

Today is the 137th community vaccination event held by Forsyth Public Health. These events-- hosted by community partners that have included local churches, businesses and non-profits-- have been focused primarily on reaching historically marginalized populations in the 27101, 2705 and 27107 zip codes, but have also been held in places like Kernersville, Lewisville and Rural Hall.

This is in addition to on-site vaccinations, which were given at the health department and for four months at a mass vaccination site at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds’ Education Building. From July to October, Forsyth Public Health distributed cash card incentives from the State to individuals who received first doses, with the incentive originally being $25 and increasing to $100 worth of cash cards. Public Health staff distributed more than 31,000 cash cards worth $25 a piece.

All this has resulted in Public Health administering over 115,000 COVID vaccinations. This required a massive amount of work hours that included nights and weekends from Public Health staff, along with volunteers and the National Guard. Due to the efforts of Forsyth Public Health and other local providers who offered the vaccine, 70 percent of adults in Forsyth County are now fully vaccinated.

The fight against COVID-19 isn’t over, and the county currently has substantial spread of the virus. People who have yet to be vaccinated are encouraged to do so and those who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to get a booster, as immunity can wane over time, especially against newer variants of the disease. Masks should still be worn in indoor public places to prevent the spread of COVID-19.