Drive-thru vaccinations coming to Eau Claire in July

Jun. 24—EAU CLAIRE — The area's first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site will open for the month of July, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department announced Thursday.

On Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m., July 7 through July 28, people can drive or walk up to UW-Eau Claire's Water Street parking lot and receive the vaccine inside their vehicle.

The parking lot is located at 101 Chippewa St., Eau Claire. People seeking vaccinations should enter the parking lot on Second Avenue, the Health Department said.

Nearly 61% of Eau Claire County adults have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; 58% have completed the vaccine series.

The new drive-thru site will replace a community mass vaccination site at UW-Eau Claire's Zorn Arena, which opened in April and is scheduled to close next week.

"The partnership that came together to operate the Zorn Arena Clinic for nearly three months has been an incredible asset to help get many people vaccinated in our community and region," said Health Department Director Lieske Giese in a statement. "Now we are excited to offer a drive-thru clinic for anyone who prefers to get vaccinated while staying in their car. Just drive up, roll down your window and roll up your sleeve."

There will be two vaccines available at that site: The two-dose Pfizer vaccine, available for people 12 and older, and a limited supply of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, available for people 18 and older.

People will be asked to wait in their cars in the parking lot for at least 15 minutes after their vaccine to monitor for side effects, said Audrey Boerner, public information officer for the Health Department's pandemic response.

Side effects are extremely rare, but all Eau Claire area vaccine clinics have asked people to wait at the vaccine site for 15 minutes after their shot.

"Nationally, 2-5 people per million vaccinated experience a severe allergic reaction," Boerner said in an email.

Another Eau Claire location will be offering vaccines next month, starting July 8.

On Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., from July 8 to July 29, the Health Department will offer vaccines at the Eau Claire County Courthouse, 721 Oxford Ave. People will be asked to enter through door C12E, at the intersection of Lake Street and Second Avenue.

Three COVID-19 vaccines will be offered at that site:

* The two-dose Pfizer vaccine, approved for people 12 and older.

* The two-dose Moderna vaccine, approved for people 18 and older.

* A limited supply of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, approved for people 18 and older.

The Health Department wanted to continue offering vaccines in Eau Claire two days per week through July even after the Zorn Arena site closes, Boerner said.

Demand for the vaccine throughout the U.S. and in the Chippewa Valley has dropped significantly in recent weeks. There were 702 doses administered in Eau Claire County last week, the lowest number of doses it's given out weekly since mid-December.

The Health Department has said the drop is expected.

Boerner said in an email: "The rate of vaccinations has decreased locally, and we did expect demand to decrease as more people became vaccinated. At the same time, we have new individuals coming in for vaccinations every week."

At both the drive-up site and the courthouse, vaccines will be free, and no ID or proof of citizenship will be needed. Appointments are optional, but walk-ins will also be accepted.

People can schedule vaccine appointments at vaccinate.wi.gov.

Zorn Arena vaccination site closing

The last day the Zorn Arena site will offer vaccines is June 30, from 3 to 7 p.m.

From April 8 to June 23, the site vaccinated roughly 7,500 people, according to numbers from the Health Department.

It distributed more than 14,400 total vaccine doses, including 634 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and 13,781 first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Health Department will continue to host pop-up vaccination clinics around the community.

People with questions about the vaccination sites can call the Health Department at 715-839-4718.