COVID-19 vaccine clinic officially opens at Reedley College

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the Optum Serve team set up for the first time at Reedley College on Friday -- people stood in line, eager for their turn to get the vaccine.

Carol Ann Dominguez and her husband do not have internet at their home, so they came early to sign up.

"We had to come down here to get our number, so anyway, thank heaven we got everything," she said.

Appointments are required and can be made online, but if you don't have the internet like the Dominguez's, you can call to get help.

Selma resident Doreene Serpa woke up and registered online early Friday morning - with more success than for other vaccine clinics in the county.

"It was the easiest thing in the world, considering that the past two weeks or longer I've been registered here, registered there to get an appointment, to get a phone call, nothing happened," she said.

While there were only 100 vaccines available Friday for the soft launch, it will increase to 420 starting Saturday.

The process only takes a few minutes, with a 15-minute observation period afterward.

Reedley College President Jerry Buckley says this is a huge opportunity for the school and the community.

"Time and distance are a barrier to our rural residents, so it's critically important that you bring both education and healthcare as close as you can to those that don't have the ability to travel," he said.

You must have an appointment to receive the vaccine. For more information, visit their website.

Starting next Wednesday, the clinic will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm in Classroom Complex One off Reed Avenue.