Rocky Mount, NC – The effort to vaccinate the elderly against coronavirus continues to be rocky in North Carolina.
On Thursday, vehicles lined up for miles for a vaccination clinic run by the Nash County Health Department in front of Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount.
People began lining up at 6 a.m. for the 1 p.m. clinic, which was geared toward vaccinating people 75 and older.
“Nobody wants to catch him. That’s why I was here at 6:30 this morning, waiting to receive the vaccine,” Pat Said Mauldin.
“It’s important because we, like millions of others, are safe, we’ve been home since March,” said Marie Mullins, a retired teacher.
“People will be able to go back to work and lead a normal life,” Mullins said, stifling tears. “Much more important than travel or even family … people can go back to work and have a life and food again at their children’s lunches and kids back to school – and that’s important.”
he said, stifling tears. “[It’s] more important for people to be able to return to work and lead a normal life. “
James Ervin, 79, said he brought snacks, drinks and his newspaper to keep him busy while he waited.
“From what I see and the traffic is aligning, I might be back today. I hope not,” Ervin said. “Of course I’m worried about the others.
The health department had only 1,000 doses of the vaccine available to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Health director Bill Hill said his staff did their best to tell people as soon as the line became too long so that people would not waste their time.
“It’s bad enough to wait three hours and get shot, but it’s worse to wait three hours and not have one available,” Hill said. “It’s difficult to turn people around, but really [Wednesday], we were talking about a makeup clinic for this. “
Similar lines were observed on Wednesday, when other counties began moving to phase 1B of the national vaccine distribution plan. Long lines have been formed at community centers, hospitals and vaccine clinics in Cumberland, Halifax and Wayne counties, among others.
Healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients and residents and the staff of nursing homes and other long-term care units were in Phase 1A, which began last month. Some counties, including much of the Triangle, remain in that phase while trying to inoculate a large number of health workers.
The first group in phase 1B is people aged 75 years or older.
On Wednesday, a vaccine clinic at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville closed 30 minutes after opening, when the crowd quickly exceeded 250 available doses of the vaccine. In Goldsboro, seniors waited for hours just for the chance to sign up for one of 550 COVID-19 vaccines available this week.
A vaccine clinic opened Thursday for the next day at Halifax Community College. Staff there said they expected less turnout than Wednesday, when the lines were wrapped around the parking lot, while people waited for hours outside.
Although thousands of eligible North Carolinians are looking for vaccines, counties have a very limited supply and require residents to be patient. State health officials have assured North Carolina that anyone who wants to be vaccinated will have a chance, but the distribution will take time.
Nursing homes still need vaccines
Although much of the state is advancing with Phase 1B, it is estimated that coronavirus vaccines have reached only a quarter of nursing homes and long-term care facilities in North Carolina.
As part of the effort to vaccinate long-term caregivers and Phase 1A residents, Walgreens and CVS staff visited vaccine facilities as part of a federal contract.
Adam Sholar, president and CEO of the North Carolina Association of Health Centers, said he hopes to see the vaccines reach all facilities by the end of the month.
“Some clinics seemed to be a little more organized than others, but from what we hear, I think, at this point, we can say that the week was one of what is really an unprecedented launch and something we keep with eyes on, “he said.
Sholar said that while the vast majority of nursing home residents welcomed the vaccine, long-term care workers were less willing. He said he hopes that attitude changes as clinics continue in the coming weeks.