Governor gets flu shot at local pharmacy that provided COVID vaccines for over 25,000 locals

A private pharmacy responsible for vaccinating around 25,000 North Carolinians during the pandemic got a visit from the governor today.

Posted 8:09 p.m. Sep 30, 2021 — Updated 8:54 p.m. Sep 30, 2021

Keely Arthur

, WRAL reporter

A private pharmacy responsible for vaccinating around 25,000 North Carolinians during the pandemic got a visit from the governor today.

Not only have Steve Adkins and his team of nearly 200 volunteers at Health Park Pharmacy vaccinated tens of thousands of locals against COVID – they also gave Governor Cooper his 2021 flu shot.

Cooper got his flu shot as a reminder for others to do the same. After all, even during the pandemic, flu season is still a concern. No one wants to deal with having both the flu and COVID at the same time, which medical officials say could increase longer-term effects on organ systems and could be more injurious to the lungs.

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On Friday, Cooper singled Adkins out for the work his pharmacy has done in ensuring people had access to free and effective COVID vaccines.

"Very early in on the process they were all in on giving COVID vaccines," said Cooper.

Photos from earlier in the pandemic showed lines of hundreds of people wrapping around the pharmacy's building.

His team also went out into the community, vaccinating folks at such a quick pace that at one point Durham County’s Public Health Department asked him how it was possible.

"It wasn’t easy getting to that number, but that’s what we were focused on – serving our community and giving back," said Adkins.

Adkins and his team are also administering flu vaccines. Health officials say it's safe to get both the flu vaccine and COVID vaccine at the same time.

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