UNC Health acquires 725 COVID-19 vaccine vials intended for Orange County Health Department

CHAPEL HILL, NC (WTVD) – The national problems in vaccine rollout have cropped up locally.

UNC Health said in an internal email obtained by Eyewitness News that Thursday night they had obtained 725 COVID-19 vaccines – originally intended for the Orange County Health Department – to be “used” by Monday morning.

It’s unclear why the health department turned them over to UNC.

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By email, the Orange County Health Department forwarded the same email forwarded to ABC11 by UNC Health, which reads:

“UNC Health was notified that Orange County had a number of vaccine vials available for immediate use.

UNC Health worked closely with Orange County to ensure that all vaccines would be used without waste and that all these injections would go to either Phase 1-A personnel or personnel working with COVID-19 patients in some capacity.

This collaboration was a success and all available stock was used properly. “

UNC has set additional times this weekend to vaccinate as many Phase 1-A personnel (health workers fighting COVID-19 and long-term care personnel and residents) as possible between 7am and 7pm on Saturday and Sunday.
State health officials have asked for time in the complex rollout process: some hospitals received the vaccine only two weeks ago, local health departments received it last week.

In the past week, Orange County Health would receive 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“These are the same health departments and hospitals with the largest number of COVID patients they have seen during this pandemic and we appreciate everyone’s patience,” said health secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.

ABC News reported this week that the release of the COVID-19 vaccine this month was slower than expected, raising fears that the federal government was mishandling the effort and would have to wait months longer than expected to get their chance.

Public health officials warned that the bigger test will come in the year 2021, when inventory finally gets bigger and the wider public raised their hands for an opportunity.