FEMA mobile clinic open to walk-ins in Turner

TURNER — The trend for more walk-in COVID-19 shots will pick up speed Wednesday in Turner, when the FEMA mobile clinic begins offering vaccine shots without appointment at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center, the head of the Maine CDC announced Tuesday.

“If you are in the Turner area of Androscoggin County feel free to get your Johnson & Johnson vaccine. You can take advantage of that; no appointment is needed,” Dr. Nirav Shah said in his bi-weekly COVID-19 briefing.

The FEMA clinic will be in Turner throughout the day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

After Turner, the mobile clinic will head to the Waterville airport from May 9-12, where again walk-in vaccines will be offered. The FEMA mobile clinic will continue to accept appointments for shots.

Walk-in vaccines will also be offered Thursday evening at the old Marshall’s building in Sanford from 5 to 8 p.m., Shah said.

As the demand for shots decreases, more walk-in and evening hours will be offered at clinics everywhere to encourage more people to get vaccinated, experts have said.

In addition, the vaccine clinic run by Maine Health at Scarborough Downs is offering walk-in shots, as is the Portland Expo, Shah said.

At the Auburn Mall vaccine site administered by Central Maine Healthcare, a formal launch of a walk-in model is being planned, Amy Lee, chief operating officer of Central Maine Medical Group, said in an email. Some walk-in vaccines are offered if the clinic has unfilled appointments, Lee said.

The FEMA mobile clinic will do a return visit Oxford and Windham to provide the second Moderna shots to people who had been scheduled to receive a J&J shot in April when the federal government paused its use, Shah said.

“Those folks have already been notified,” Shah said. “If you got your first Moderna shot at the mobile clinic because of the federal pause, the mobile unit will be coming back your way.”

Appointments or more information about the mobile clinic can be made by calling the Community Vaccination line at 1-888-445-4111, or going to https://www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines/vaccination-sites.