Arizona opens latest indoor mass-vaccination site in Scottsdale

PHOENIX – As the weather turns warmer, the Arizona Department of Health Services has begun to transition its vaccination sites from parking lots to indoors. Thursday marked the opening of the tented walk-through location at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

Arizona’s top public health official said Thursday traffic at walk-through indoor mass-vaccination sites is turning out to be faster than at the drive-thru sites.

“We’re hearing that people are actually getting through the indoor sites a little bit faster because we have the availability to move people without having to deal with the cars,” Dr. Cara Christ, state health department director, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News at the WestWorld launch.

“People are in and out relatively quickly. As we continue to work on our sites, they’ll get even more efficient.”

The Scottsdale location will begin by handling 3,000-4,000 appointments daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The site joins Dexcom in Mesa, Arizona State University’s Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Northern Arizona University Union Fieldhouse in Flagstaff, and Yuma’s Civic Center as indoor inoculation set-ups.

State Farm Stadium in Glendale, the first state-run mass-vaccination site, will shut down its outdoor activities Friday at 9 a.m. Gila River Arena across the street will take over the appointments starting at noon.

Normal operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on most days. It will close early when events such as Arizona Coyotes hockey games are scheduled.

Demand for appointments has slowed, Christ said.

“There is plenty of vaccine for whoever wants it,” Christ said. “Many of the state sites you would be able to find a same-day appointment.”

All adults across Arizona are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, with the minimum age at 16 for the Pfizer shot and 18 for other approved versions.

For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page showing locations and registration information.

For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a locator page that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.

The following week’s worth of appointments for mass vaccination sites run by the state, which use Pfizer, are released every Friday at 11 a.m. Appointments can be booked online at https://podvaccine.azdhs.gov/ or by calling 844-542-8201.

Spots can open at any time through any provider because of cancellations and additional deliveries, so vaccine seekers should continue checking any or all of the registration options regularly.

Follow @KTAR923