Raleigh, NC While North Carolina continues to focus on vaccinating health professionals and residents and staff in long-term care facilities against the coronavirus, some counties are also beginning to vaccinate people 75 and older.
But the move, as well as the state’s overall effort to roll out vaccines, is causing confusion and frustration.
For example, the Wilson County Health Department uses some of the 800 doses of vaccine it has for seniors, but officials told people to call and schedule an appointment to get vaccinated. However, phone problems and an overwhelming response prevented that plan on Monday, leading many people to come to the health department offices instead.
“I’m 82 years old, and my husband is 87, and I have just been diagnosed with lung cancer. So of course we want it,” Undine Lamm said of the vaccine.
The couple drove from Elm City to the health office in Wilson to schedule an appointment, but were turned down.
“We are here to try and schedule our COVID vaccine,” Lamm said. “I called 12 [or] I tried 13 times this morning to get through and can’t get through. … The lady says, ‘Well, you have to call to make the appointment. That’s the only way to make it. ”
Wilson’s Bill Robinette had the same problem.
“I called a lot, and then I said I’d just come here in person to see if I can make an appointment that way, but they said you still have to make a call and have a phone call,” Robinette said.
Annette Clark, 82, was able to make her appointment last week and she received her first dose of the vaccine on Monday.
“It was painless, it was effortless and I was in and out,” said Clark. “This is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Teresa Ellen, director of Wilson County Health, said she hopes the phone problems were resolved by Tuesday. The department is also working on an online portal for making vaccination appointments.
Elsewhere, the Person County health department had to extend the hours of its senior vaccination clinic on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and add a second clinic from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays to meet demand. Northampton County also plans to vaccinate seniors on Wednesday. Both counties said people should schedule appointments in advance.
Halifax County expects to begin vaccinating seniors next week, and UNC Health Southeastern will begin vaccinating people over 75 in Robeson County on Wednesday.
Each province deals differently with vaccinations for seniors. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the State Department of Health and Human Services, said last week that officials this week would have a better idea of how the process will go.
Wake County released a statement stating that local doctors, health departments and hospitals are currently working on a joint strategy to vaccinate seniors.
“At the moment, there is not enough vaccine to move into Phase 1b. Wake County is vaccinating those who qualify for Phase 1a with the limited supply available. Phase 1a includes thousands of health professionals, medical personnel, and emergency responders dealing with COVID. – 19 patients, staff who assist with the administration of vaccines, as well as long-term care staff and residents, ”read a statement on the province’s website.
County officials said 3,800 people are on a waiting list for vaccinations, but the province has only 2,020 doses left, meaning more than 1,700 people will have to wait for the next shipment of vaccines to receive their injection.
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 since three weeks have passed.
The Pfizer vaccine appears to be about 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose. Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines require two doses, with four weeks between the two injections for those who receive the Moderna vaccine.
The doctors’ offices are also waiting
People aged 75 and older are only the first group in the phase 1b rollout plan. The second group at that stage includes health professionals who do not treat COVID-19 patients and “essential” employees 50 and older, including first responders, teachers, mail carriers and supermarket employees. The third group at that stage includes key workers aged 49 and under.
Dr. Brian Bowman, a Cary pediatrician, complained to DHHS officials about the lack of information about vaccinating health professionals like him who are not treating COVID-19 patients yet are at risk of exposure.
“If you don’t know we’re here, how do we know we’re going to get the vaccine?” Bowman said. “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. They will get it now this week. He said he isn’t sure the letter allowed them to get on the schedule, but he is deeply concerned that doctors in other parts of the state are being missed.
“It was not completely transparent, not clear where to go and how to do it,” he said. “It felt very much like we were in separate silos and we have to take care of ourselves to take care of our staff so we can stay here and be open during this time.”
After weeks of waiting, Dr. Beverly Edwards, a pediatrician in Ahoskie, finally on to the Hertford County Health Department to plan vaccines for herself and her office workers.
‘We called, us and the other peds offices call them every day because we know they’ve had the vaccine for at least two to three weeks, “Edwards said.” They would have a plan to give us the shot before everyone else, but they really don’t come up with that plan yet. ‘
After stage 1b, adults with a high risk of exposure or an increased risk of serious disease are vaccinated in stage 2. That includes people aged 65 to 74 years and people younger than 65 years with a medical condition that is at risk of serious disease from COVID. 19 increases. . Other essential employees and people who live or work in healthcare facilities are also in phase 2.
In phase 3, college, university and high school students aged 16 or older can get vaccinated. Phase 4 is open to anyone who wants to be vaccinated.
Cohen said it will be months before vaccines are widely available to the public.
Coronavirus is on the rise in North Carolina
North Carolina has seen another spike in coronavirus cases, with the first two days of 2021 showing 19,000 new cases statewide.
Another 5,187 infections were reported Monday, as the state set a record with 16.5 percent of virus tests positive. State officials have set a target of 5 percent or lower for that measure.
In the past week, the state has counted an average of 7,056 new cases per day, up from 7,000 the first time during the pandemic.
North Carolina also set its third consecutive daily record of people in hospitals with COVID-19, at 3,635. Hospitals have a capacity of 74 percent and only 17 percent of the intensive care beds are available.
Wake County has set up new sites to help with the demand for coronavirus 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., Raleigh, 11am to 4pm
- Method Community Park, 514 Method Road, Raleigh, 11 am-4pm