SUFFOLK, Va. — Localities in the Western Tidewater Health District have teamed up to open a call center for residents looking for information on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Starting Monday, Feb. 8, residents in Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight County and Southampton County can call the center to get info or to talk out concerns about vaccinations in their area.
The call center number is 757-514-4570. Staff will be available daily Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to take calls and assist the public. It's located at Suffolk's Emergency Operations Center.
Cities around Hampton Roads and across Virginia have been inundated with inquiries about the vaccine. The call center was developed to alleviate communication issues and to help people seeking info on the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
Call center staffers won't be able to schedule or confirm appointments or give medical advice. They'll also help anyone who needs help completing the new Western Tidewater Health District Vaccine Inquiry Form. Filling out this form does not register someone for a vaccine. It only collects important pre-screening information so that health officials can reach out to people interested in receiving a vaccine.
It could take several weeks for an official to reach out to schedule a vaccination due to the high number of requests.
In order to schedule an appointment, residents will have to dial the phone numbers for each of the four separate health departments that make up the entire health district.
- Isle of Wight County - Isle of Wight Health Department: (757) 357-4177
- Southampton County - Southampton County Health Department: (757) 653-3040
- Suffolk - Suffolk Health Department: (757) 514-4700
- Franklin - Franklin Health Department: (757) 562-6109