LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The largest vaccination site in the state of Kentucky continued its soft opening Friday with University of Louisville staff and faculty. It only takes about 21 minutes from start to finish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the Cardinal Stadium Mass Vaccination Site, set to open Monday.

Associate Chief Medical Officer Hugh Shoff believes this new site will be an advantage for the community.

“Here I think the advantages are the space and the ability to bring people in," Shoff said. "Multiple lanes just add to that process to enable more people to come through, more people vaccinating."

UofL staff and faculty were there Friday for test runs of the vaccine clinic.

The 28-lane vaccination site consists of hundreds of volunteers, including UofL medical students like Victoria Hammond.

“I got into medicine because I wanted to help people and help my city," Hammond said. "I grew up here so I love it here. It's been cool to be a part of that and join the cause in helping as many people get vaccinated as possible."

The soft opening was a chance to test the process with UofL staff and faculty before the operation becomes available to the public on Monday.

“I'm privileged that I'm under this university and they are providing this kind of opportunity to get vaccinated freely and it's a really amazing feeling,” Swati Saha, UofL graduate student said.

The drive-thru vaccination site is capable of administering four thousand shots a day, a goal Shoff hopes to accomplish starting Monday.

“I want every single day to be full, I want four thousand appointments a day. The faster that we get people vaccinated, the less spread we get amongst people and the more ability we have to get back to the life we want to. No masks, restaurants, concerts all of those great things that we really want,” Shoff said.

The mass vaccination site at Cardinal Stadium will be open to the public starting Monday, April 12. Appointments can be made online through UofL Health, but walk-ups and drive-ups are also welcomed.