North Carolina entered Monday 1b, the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination plan, meaning seniors 75 and older and more essential workers should soon have access to vaccines.
Each county will treat COVID-19 distribution to seniors differently. In a state briefing last week, North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Mandy Cohen, she expects to share more information on the updated vaccine rollout plan soon.
Wake County released a statement saying local doctors, health departments and hospitals are currently working on a joint strategy to vaccinate the over-75s and the elderly. The strategy may include vaccinating seniors at home.
A statement on Wake County’s COVID-19 website said, “At this point, there is not enough vaccine to move into Phase 1b. Wake County is vaccinating those eligible for Phase 1a with the limited supply available. Phase. 1a includes thousands of health professionals, medical personnel and first responders who deal with COVID-19 patients, personnel who assist with vaccine administration, as well as long-term care personnel and residents.
In Wake County, essential workers who have not been vaccinated and seniors must wait for updates from public health officials.
The first Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, delivered in the United States in mid-December, were given priority for health professionals and those living or working in long-term care facilities.
It’s been 21 days since the first COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, was administered in the Triangle. Anyone who received the Pfizer vaccine on December 14 can now receive their second dose.
The administration of the two doses should be separated for at least three weeks. The Pfizer vaccine appears to be about 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses.
Stages 2, 3 and 4 are the following
Phase 2, the next phase, will enable adults at high risk of exposure and at risk of serious illness to receive vaccinations, including anyone aged 65-74, regardless of their medical condition or living situation.
In Phase 2, people under 65 can be vaccinated if they have a medical condition that increases the risk of serious COVID-19 disease, along with the remaining essential employees and those living or working in healthcare facilities.
In phase 3, college, university and high school students aged 16 or older can get vaccinated. When the state enters Phase 4, anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine can get one.
Cohen said it will be months before COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to the public.
“Until most people are vaccinated, everyone should continue to wear a mask, wait six feet apart and wash their hands,” she said.
Coronavirus is on the rise in North Carolina
North Carolina has seen another spike in COVID-19 cases, with the first two days of 2021 with 19,000 new cases in our state and most counties in the red, a critical area of distribution of the community. Doctors told WRAL it will take two weeks after Christmas to see the impact of the holiday on COVID-19 numbers.
With many people returning to work Monday, health officials advise anyone who has traveled on vacation or gathered in a large group to get tested.
Wake County has set up new testing sites to help with the demand for testing, and some patients are getting results back within hours. No appointments are necessary.
Test locations open Monday include:
Marsh Creek Park, 3050 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh
11 am-4pm
Roberts Park, 1300 E. Martin St.
11 am-4pm
Method Community Park, 514 Method Road, Raleigh
11 am-4pm
On Monday, North Carolina could surpass 7,000 COVID-19 deaths. The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is 3,576, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.