Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Sites to Wind Down Operations

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Three mass vaccination sites operated by the University of Vermont Health Network, in coordination with the State of Vermont and community partners, will close by the end of June after delivering more than 115,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Vermonters. The focus will then shift to walk-in vaccinations available at locations including primary care practices at the three UVM Health Network hospital affiliates in Vermont, as well as at UVM Medical Center’s three pharmacies.

The vaccine clinic at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex, operated by the University of Vermont Medical Center, will be closing on June 18. The Central Vermont Medical Center Vaccine Hub at the Berlin Mall, will close on June 24. Porter Medical Center’s clinic in Middlebury previously closed on June 9.

Although these three larger sites are winding down operations, Vermonters can still get their vaccinations from pharmacies, walk-in clinics and primary care practices throughout the state. Vaccinations remain widely available and the UVM Health Network urges everyone eligible to get their shot. We are continuing to coordinate with the state of Vermont to respond to the needs of our community for necessary COVID-19 services, and expect our offerings will evolve over time.

The three UVM Health Network vaccination sites have contributed to Vermont’s No. 1 ranking in the country for percentage of vaccinated residents. Hundreds of dedicated staff members across the UVM Health Network have worked tirelessly since December to administer shots to as many Vermonters as possible. In recent weeks, the vaccination effort has proven to be successful – with the number of new COVID-19 cases declining steeply.

John Brumsted, MD, UVM Health Network President and CEO, said the vaccination effort in Vermont has been the most successful in the country because of thoughtful leadership at every level, including our local, state and federal government partners, committed employees and Vermonters’ willingness to protect themselves and their communities.

“What we have seen in the last six months is truly remarkable. I am in awe of the work put in to making these vaccination sites so successful. UVM Health Network employees and our community partners have gone above and beyond to ensure Vermonters are protected from COVID-19. We have worked hand-in-hand with the State of Vermont and others to achieve our No. 1 status in the country – and we would not have achieved this distinction without incredible coordination and collaboration,” Dr. Brumsted said.

At UVM Medical Center, all primary care practices, including general family, internal medicine and pediatrics sites, will begin offering the Pfizer vaccine on June 21. If a patient is not vaccinated for COVID-19, they will be engaged in a conversation about receiving the vaccine during their visit. The hospital’s three pharmacies will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on a walk-in basis. The pharmacy locations include: the Fanny Allen Campus in Colchester, Outpatient Pharmacy in Burlington and the Main Campus Pharmacy. 

Central Vermont Medical Center is working to create a primary care vaccine program supplemented by walk-in clinics. Members of the community needing a vaccine will be able to get one at these soon-to-be-announced walk-in clinics, even if they are not a regular patient at the practice.

Porter Medical Center will be offering scheduled vaccinations at primary care practices. Additional details, including the availability of walk-in appointments, will be released soon.

About The University of Vermont Health Network

The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:

• The University of Vermont Medical Center  
• The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice

Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.

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