GREENSBORO, N.C. — A major milestone in the state's fight against the coronavirus pandemic began on Wednesday in Greensboro at the FEMA mass vaccination site.

The Four Seasons Town Centre is serving as one of only 18 nationwide federal vaccination sites. The location is up and running in the heart of North Carolina where it simultaneously is also in the heart of the state's most hurting populations. The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply.

According to a press release from Gov. Roy Cooper's office, Guilford County has a population of about 523,000 residents, of which 49% are minorities.

There was a steady flow of vaccine-induced traffic filling up the parking lot for the first day of the massive vaccination effort.

Spectrum News 1 was granted full access by on-site staff to see how the operation worked. By the time the first cars drove up for vaccine appointments, the new and massive undertaking ran like a well-oiled machine. Air Force personnel were flown in last week from across the country to handle most of the duties.

From check-ins, to overseeing the site logistics, to injecting first doses of the Pfizer vaccines, their presence was visible every step of the way.

Patients could choose to be vaccinated while sitting in their cars or by walking into a nearby indoor clinic. The goal is to give 3,000 vaccinations a day, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through early May.

The moment is not lost on Lt. Colonel Sparkle Potter, who is a nurse anesthetist in the U.S. Air Force.

"I am human. I have been living this experience just like anybody and I could not keep it together. I had some tears running down my face. It was a little embarrassing, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone is here to give a little hope to people," Potter says.

Early in the afternoon, the governor paid a visit to see how everything was going for himself.  

“I am grateful for the collaboration among federal, state, and local officials that have worked so hard to make this happen,” Cooper said. “We want to continue our vaccine distribution in a way that's fast and fair, and this center is helping us reach that goal.”

The emotional responses were varied depending on your involvement in each situation in the fight to end the scourge of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Spectrum News 1 asked a grandmother about her reasons for being vaccinated. Oveter McLean knew why getting a shot was bigger than her own life.

“I wanted to make sure that I am safe because I wanted to live for my grandchildren so they can see their Nana," McLean says.

With her car window rolled down underneath the drive-thru tent, she mentally prepared herself for what is about to happen.

"I thought about it a lot. That's why I am here today," McLean says.

She took a deep breath as the antibodies pumped into her body turned into excitement.

"It felt good. I am excited. I am glad it's over. I have a fear of needles but it didn't bother me. It was real simple, easy and quick," she says.

The clock begins on a 15-minute wait shortly after someone is vaccinated. Her wait became a party.

”Whoop. There it is! Get your shot! There it is,” she exclaims.

McLean has a message for anyone experiencing hesitation.

"Stop being afraid. If you want to live come get your shot," she says.

Knowing she is one step closer to seeing her grandchildren gives her a better feeling.

For the first three weeks of the vaccine appointments, round one of a two-dose Pfizer vaccination will be offered. The next three following weeks is when patients who came to get their first shot can receive their second dosages.

If everything goes according to plans for the site, state FEMA officials told Spectrum News 1 the hope is to provide the one-and-done Johnson and Johnson vaccine to anyone who wants it for Weeks 7 and 8. In an on-air story, Week 6 was incorrectly stated as part of the weeks the one shot only vaccinations may be offered.

To book an appointment, click here.