With temperatures soon expected to rise, the University of Arizona will move its drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic indoors on May 3.

Starting that day, all vaccinations will take place in the university's Ina E. Gittings Building, where a sit-down clinic has been operational since January. May 2 will be the last day for the drive-thru site on the University of Arizona Mall.

Those who wish to get vaccinated at the UArizona POD, or point of distribution, can schedule an appointment through the Arizona Department of Health Services website or by calling 844-542-8201 or 602-542-1000 for help in English or Spanish. Walk-ins are also being accepted at both the drive-thru and sit-down sites; people can simply show up between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. Those with additional questions can email covidhelp@arizona.edu.

Demand at the UArizona vaccination POD has declined in recent weeks, in line with trends across Pima County and statewide, University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said Monday during his weekly briefing on the university's COVID-19 status.

As of Saturday, the university POD had administered more than 194,000 doses since opening in January. An estimated 37% of Pima County residents have received at least one vaccine dose, including 85.7% of those 65 and older and 62.7% of those ages 55-64.

Robbins said the UArizona POD continues to be focused on equity and access.

"According to the demographic data provided to us by the state as of April 20, 27.3% of the people coming to the university POD have identified as Hipanic or Latinx," he said. "In addition, we saw increases in the percentage of doses going to Black/African American people and Asian people this past week." 

Robbins also touted the university's ongoing vaccination outreach efforts in rural communities across Arizona, in partnership with Pima County and state officials.

To date, the university's Mobile Health Clinic has dispensed over 10,000 doses of vaccine across the state. The university is now building on that effort by working with the Santa Cruz County Health Department and the Mexican Consulate of Nogales to host a clinic on April 28 that will vaccinate about 150 truck drivers who transport produce and other goods in Arizona and other parts of the country, Robbins said.

"As the number of daily vaccinations at large PODs like the one at the university decline, and as the PODs are being decommissioned, outreach to rural and other underserved communities is going to become even more important," he said.

"I want to specifically thank Cecilia Rosales, the associate dean for community engagement and Phoenix programs in the College of Public Health, and Dr. Daniel Derksen, director of the university's Center for Rural Health, for their leadership in this initiative," he said.

COVID-19 testing also continues on the UArizona campus. Between April 19 and April 24, the university administered 6,285 tests with 28 positives – a positivity rate of 0.45%.

May 5 is the last day of spring semester classes at the University of Arizona, with finals set to begin May 7 and a series of smaller in-person graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place between May 11 and May 18. The university will pause its weekly briefings during the summer, holding them only as needed. The last regularly scheduled briefing will take place on May 3 at 10 a.m. Regular briefings are expected to resume as the fall semester nears.