Raleigh, NC – Although North Carolina remains focused on vaccinating health care workers and residents and staff in long-term care facilities against coronavirus, some counties in the area are also beginning to vaccinate people over the age of 75.
But the move, as well as the state’s overall effort to launch vaccines, is causing confusion and frustration.
Wilson County Health, for example, uses some of the 800 doses of vaccine it has for the elderly, but officials have told people they need to call and make an appointment to be vaccinated. Phone problems and an overwhelming response removed that plan on Monday, but led many people to report to health department offices.
“I am 82 years old and my husband is 87 years old and has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. So, of course, of course we want him,” Undine Lamm said of the vaccine.
The couple drove from Elm City to Wilson Health Department offices to make an appointment, only to be rejected.
“We are here to try to schedule our COVID vaccine,” Lamm said. “I called 12 [or] 13 times this morning, I tried to pass and I can’t pass. … The lady says, “Well, you have to call to make the appointment. This is the only way to succeed. “
Wilson’s Bill Robinette had the same problem.
“I called a lot of people and then I said I’d go out here in person and see if I could make a date like this, but they told me you had to call and make a phone call,” Robinette said.
Annette Clark, 82, was able to set up her appointment last week and received her first dose of vaccine on Monday.
“It was painless, it was effortless, and I was in and out,” Clark said. “This is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Wilson County Health Director Teresa Ellen said she hopes to resolve the phone issues by Tuesday. The department is also working to create an online portal for establishing vaccination schedules.
Elsewhere, the Person County Health Department had to extend the hours of its vaccination clinic for the elderly on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and add a second clinic from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m .: 00 Wednesday to meet demand. Northampton County also plans to start vaccinating the elderly on Wednesday. Both counties said people need to schedule appointments in advance.
Halifax County expects to begin vaccinating seniors by next week, and UNC Health Southeastern will begin vaccinating people 75 and older on Wednesday.
Each county manages vaccinations for the elderly differently. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the State Department of Health and Human Services, said last week that officials will have a better idea this week of how the process will go.
Wake County has issued a statement saying local doctors, health departments and hospitals are currently working on a common vaccination strategy for the elderly.
“At the moment, there is not enough vaccine to move to phase 1b. Wake County vaccinates those who qualify for Phase 1a with the limited supply available. Phase 1a includes thousands of health workers, medical staff and first responders who are engaged with COVID-19 patients, staff who help administer vaccines, as well as long-term care staff and residents, “a statement said. county website.
County officials said 3,800 people are on a waiting list for vaccinations, but the county has only 2,020 doses left, meaning more than 1,700 people have to wait for the next delivery of vaccines to get shot.
The first Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which were administered in the United States in mid-December, were a priority for healthcare workers and those living or working in long-term care facilities.
It has been 21 days since the first COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, was administered in the Triangle. Anyone who has received the Pfizer vaccine on 14 December can receive the second dose in three weeks.
The Pfizer vaccine appears to be approximately 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, with four weeks separating the two photos for those receiving the Moderna vaccine.
Also, doctors’ offices are waiting
People over the age of 75 are just the first group in the phase 1b launch plan. The second group in that phase includes health workers who do not treat patients with COVID-19 and “essential” workers aged 50 and over, including the first responders, teachers, postal workers and supermarket employees. The third group in that phase includes essential workers aged 49 and younger.
Dr. Brian Bowman, a pediatrician at Cary, complained to DHHS officials about the lack of information about vaccinating health care workers like him who does not treat patients with COVID-19, but who still face exposure risks.
“If you don’t know we’re here, how do we know we’re going to get the vaccine?” Said Bowman. “We are certainly not intensive care units in emergency rooms, but we still have significant potential exposure.”
He sent a letter to DHHS last week asking when his group would receive the vaccine. Now they will receive it this week. He said he was not sure if the letter allowed them to enter the program, but was very worried that doctors from other parts of the state would be missed.
“It was not completely transparent, it was not clear where we should go and how we should do it,” he said. “We felt very much that we were in individual silos and we had to manage on our own to take care of our staff so that we could stay here and be open during this time.”
After weeks of waiting, Dr. Beverly Edwards, a pediatrician from Ahoskie, I finally got to Hertford The County Department of Health to schedule vaccines for her and her office staff.
“It simply came to our notice then PEDS the offices called them every day because we know they’ve been getting the vaccine for at least two to three weeks, “Edwards said.” They should have had a plan that would give us the chance before everyone else, but they really haven’t come up with this plan yet. “
After phase 1b, adults at high risk of exposure or at increased risk of severe disease will be vaccinated in phase 2. This includes people aged 65 to 74 and those under the age of 65 who have a condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 disease. Other essential workers and people living or working in care units are also in phase 2.
In phase 3, college, university and high school students over the age of 16 can be vaccinated. Phase 4 is open to anyone else who wants to be vaccinated.
Cohen said it would be months before the vaccines became widely available to the public.
Coronavirus growing in North Carolina
North Carolina has seen a further increase in coronavirus cases, with the first two days of 2021 showing 19,000 new cases at the state level.
Another 5,187 infections were reported on Monday, when the state set a record 16.5 percent of positive virus tests. State officials have set a target of 5% or less for this amount.
In the last week, the state registered an average of 7,056 new cases a day, the first time during the pandemic, the number exceeded 7,000.
North Carolina also set the third consecutive monthly record of people in hospitals with COVID-19 at 3,635. Hospitals have a capacity of 74% and only 17% of intensive care beds are available.
Wake County has created new sites to help apply for coronavirus testing, and some patients get results within hours. No appointments required.
Test sites open Monday include:
- Marsh Creek Park, 3050 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Roberts Park, 1300 E. Martin St. in Raleigh, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Method Community Park, 514 Method Road in Raleigh, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.