Durham, NC – With the new daily cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina, close to records, the vaccine launch process is getting more urgent.
But the promise of vaccines is moving slower in some counties than in others.
While some counties have begun vaccinating people over the age of 75, Durham is still in Phase 1A, vaccinating health workers and long-term care workers. Only a third of the vaccines were given.
Durham County received 3,200 doses of Moderna vaccine and, since Friday afternoon, has given 810. About 16% have been transferred to other medical facilities.
This means that about 59% are still on the shelves.
By comparison, Wake County has administered 2,479 of the 3,900 doses and is preparing to enter Phase 1B next week. Even so, Wake County is moving slower than other surrounding counties.
The director of the Durham County Health Department has not yet given an interview; however, it seems to be part of why Durham’s slower pace is their more measured and methodical approach.
At the last meeting of the Durham Recovery and Renewal Working Group, Health Director Rod Jenkins reported that a lot of factors are at play in the current pace of the vaccination process.
“We take the time to make sure we are able to move on to the next stage in a very safe and efficient way,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said each individual vaccination requires time and care – including screening, maintaining space for social distancing, and monitoring each vaccinated person for a safe period of time before sending them home.
“We have seen news reports from other counties that have our elderly loved ones waiting in long lines, getting up at 4 in the morning and waiting for hours to receive the vaccine because of the high demand,” he said.
“We don’t want to accidentally take care of our most vulnerable citizens. We want to make sure we do it right,” he said.
Jenkins called the pace a balancing act between scheduling, screening, documentation and process operations – one of the biggest concerns being making sure vaccines are not wasted.
The Department of Health has received doses of Pfizer vaccine and will begin administering it this week.
There is still no time frame for when phase 1B will start in Durham; however, a scheduled roundtable scheduled for Tuesday morning may provide more answers.
Although the county health department did not begin phase 1B, Duke Health began accepting appointments.
If you need more information on how to access a COVID vaccine in your county, WRAL has created a reference guide with county-by-county information.