Fayetteville, NC – State officials say any adult in North Carolina who wants a vaccination against the coronavirus can get one by May 1, but Cape Fear Valley Health isn’t waiting that long.
The Fayetteville-based hospital system plans to immunize everyone 16 or older on Tuesday to make sure the weekly vaccination allocation is used up.
“The state has a clear guideline: If you accept the first doses for that week, they expect you to get them that week,” said Chris Tart, vice president of professional services at Cape Fear Valley Health.
Tart said the hospital system rejected additional doses from the state last week because officials noted a pause in appointments for the vaccines priority groups currently eligible for injections. To keep the weekly shipment from being cut, he said, they need to open up to the next priority group, which is basically all newcomers.
“We posted our appointments at 5:00 on Friday, and this morning we’re pretty much full all week,” he said.
Cape Fear Valley Health plans to administer 12,000 shots at its hospitals and medical facilities this week Cumberland, Blades and Hoke counties.
Last week, the hospital system counted more than 100,000 vaccinations.
“It’s quite an impressive achievement to get that many doses in the arms within 14 weeks, just for a hospital system alone,” said Tart.
Even as Cape Fear Valley Health moves to Group 5 on the priority list, he said, people in higher priority groups, such as health workers, seniors and teachers, can still book appointments.
“We’re still seeing some laggards,” he said. “Some people stuck with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it is a one-dose alternative to the two-dose vaccines.”