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Raleigh, North Carolina – While North Carolina remains focused on vaccinating healthcare workers, residents, and long-term care facility staff against the coronavirus, some counties in the region are also starting to vaccinate people aged 75 and over. more.
But this move, along with the state’s overall vaccine deployment effort, is sowing confusion and frustration.
The Wilson County Health Department, for example, is using some of the 800 doses of vaccine it has for the elderly, but officials have told people they need to call and make an appointment to get the shot. Phone problems and an overwhelming response, however, precluded that plan on Monday, leading many to report to the health department offices.
“I’m 82, and my husband is 87, and just been diagnosed with lung cancer. So of course we want that of course,” Undine Lamm said of the vaccine.
The couple drove from Elm City to Wilson’s health department offices to make an appointment, before being turned down.
“We are here to try to make an appointment to receive our COVID vaccine,” Lamm said. “I called 12 [or] 13 times this morning I tried to pass and I can’t pass. … The lady said, “Well, you have to call to make an appointment.” This is the only way to be successful. ‘”
Wilson’s Bill Robinette had the same problem.
“I called a lot and then said I would just come here in person to see if I could get a date that way, but they said you still have to call and make a phone call,” said Robinette.
Annette Clark, 82, was able to make an appointment last week and received her first dose of the vaccine on Monday.
“It was painless, it was effortless and I was in and out,” Clark said. “It’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Wilson County Health Director Teresa Ellen said she hopes the phone issues will be resolved by Tuesday. The department is also working on the creation of an online portal to make vaccination appointments.
Elsewhere, the Person County Health Department had to extend the opening hours of its vaccination clinic for seniors on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and add a second clinic from 1:30 p.m. at 4 p.m. Wednesday to meet demand. Northampton County also plans to start immunizing the elderly on Wednesday. Both counties said people had to schedule their appointments in advance.
Halifax County plans to start vaccinating the elderly by next week, and UNC Health Southeastern will begin vaccinating people 75 years and older in Robeson County on Wednesday.
Each county manages the vaccinations of seniors differently. Dr Mandy Cohen, secretary of the State Department of Health and Human Services, said last week that officials would have a better idea this week of how the process would unfold.
Wake County released a statement saying local doctors, health departments and hospitals are working on a common strategy to vaccinate the elderly.
“At the moment, there are not enough vaccines to move to phase 1b. Wake County is vaccinating those who qualify for Phase 1a with the limited supply available. Phase 1a includes thousands of health workers, medical staff and first responders who engage with COVID-19 patients, staff helping administer vaccines, as well as long-term care staff and residents The county website reads.
County officials said 3,800 people are on a waiting list for vaccinations, but the county has only 2,020 doses left, meaning more than 1,700 people have to wait for the next shipment of vaccines. to get vaccinated.
The first Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which were administered in the United States in mid-December, have been a priority for health workers and for those who live or work in long-term care facilities.
It has 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 in three weeks.
The Pfizer vaccine appears to be about 52% effective after the first dose and 95% after the second dose. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, with four weeks between the two vaccines for those receiving the Moderna vaccine.
Doctors’ offices are also waiting
People aged 75 and over are only the first group in the phase 1b deployment plan. The second group in this phase includes healthcare workers who do not treat COVID-19 patients and “essential” workers aged 50 and over, including first responders, teachers, postal workers and supermarket workers. The third group in this phase includes essential workers aged 49 and under.
Dr Brian Bowman, a pediatrician in Cary, complained to DHHS officials about the lack of information on immunization for healthcare workers like him who do not treat patients with COVID-19 but are still exposed to risks of exposure.
“If you don’t know we’re here, how do we know we’re going to get vaccinated?” 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 now get it this week. He said he was not sure the letter was what kept them on schedule, but is very concerned that doctors in other parts of the state are being missed.
“It wasn’t completely transparent, not clear where we needed to go and how we should do it,” he said. “It really feels like we’re in individual silos and have to fend for ourselves to take care of our staff so that we can stay here and be open during this time.”
After weeks of waiting, Dr Beverly Edwards, pediatrician at Ahoskie, finally arrived at the Hertford County Health Department to schedule vaccines for herself and her office staff.
“We called, us and the others peds the offices call them daily because we know they’ve been vaccinated for at least two to three weeks, ”Edwards said. They were supposed to have a plan to get us vaccinated before everyone else, but they really didn’t. I have not yet developed this plan. “
After phase 1b, adults at high risk of exposure or at increased risk of serious illness will be vaccinated in phase 2. This includes people 65 to 74 years of age and those under 65 years of age who have a medical condition that increases blood pressure. risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Other essential workers and people who live or work in care facilities are also in phase 2.
During phase 3, college, university, and high school students aged 16 or over can be vaccinated. Phase 4 is open to anyone else wishing to be vaccinated.
Cohen said it would be months before the vaccines were widely available to the public.
Coronavirus spike in North Carolina
North Carolina saw another spike in coronavirus cases, with the first two days of 2021 showing 19,000 new cases statewide.
Another 5,187 infections were reported on Monday, when the state set a record with 16.5% positive viral tests. State officials have set a target of 5% or less for this measure.
Over the past week, the state has recorded an average of 7,056 new cases per day, the first time during the pandemic the figure has exceeded 7,000.
North Carolina also set its third consecutive daily record for people in hospitals with COVID-19 on Monday, at 3,635. Hospitals have a 74% capacity and only 17% of intensive care beds are available.
Wake County has set up new sites to meet demand for coronavirus testing, and some patients are getting results within hours. Appointments are not necessary.
Test sites open on Monday include:
- Marsh Creek Park, 3050 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Roberts Park, 1300 E. Martin St. in Raleigh, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Method Community Park, 514 Method Road in Raleigh, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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