TCC Northeast Campus Preparing To Become Federally Run Mass Vaccination Site

The Tulsa Community College Northeast Campus will soon be a mass vaccination site run by the federal government. 

TCC confirmed the vaccines will be given at the Student Union. 

The plan is to keep the site open for eight weeks and the Tulsa Health Department said it may consider knocking on people’s doors to help get the word out.  

TCC is preparing to welcome up to 21,000 people a week, who are looking to get their COVID-19 vaccines. 

The site will be open to anyone 16 and older, Oklahoman or not, on April 21.  

While TCC said logistical details are still being finalized, chairs are already set up in the gymnasium. 

The Department of Defense and FEMA will be staffing the site, giving out Pfizer vaccines for the first six weeks, then Johnson and Johnson for two weeks. 

The news came straight from the White House, all part of the president's plan to open more mass vaccination sites.  

Related Story: White House Announces Federally Supported Community Vaccination Center To Open In Tulsa

"On March 29th, the president challenged us to open at least a dozen new sites by April 19th. We've brought nine online in the last 10 days. And today we're announcing two new sites, in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” White House COVID-19 Task Force Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a news conference Friday.  

Governor Kevin Stitt’s office said in a news release Tulsa was chosen in part because of data from the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, which looks at things like socioeconomic and minority status, housing and transportation. 

"The fact that they're recognizing that we have a disparity and they're stepping up to help us dispel that disparity, I think is tremendous. And I'm really pleased they used the Social Vulnerability Index to decide where this should go,” THD Executive Director Dr. Bruce Dart said.  

"We feel like we've got a great relationship with that segment of our community already. We're well recognized in the area,” TCC Director of Risk Management Occupational Health and Safety Matthew Sharpe said.  

Sharpe said this is a result of a years-long partnership with the Tulsa Health Department, planning for emergencies, like a pandemic. 

“We do drills and exercises with them. And many other health promotional things in the meantime for that portion and segment of our population,” Sharpe said.  

The Tulsa Health Department still wants everyone to use the portal and sign up for an appointment, but understands not everyone has access, and said people will be able to show up without an appointment and get a shot, once the site is open.