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RALEIGH – The continuing fight against COVID-19 continues to make headlines across our state … good, bad.
While the bad news is that the state has passed 17,000 deaths in the past 18 months from the virus, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced a milestone in the fight against COVID- 19. Seventy percent of North Carolinians aged 18 and over have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be our best tool in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, MD. themselves and others with tested, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. If you are not vaccinated, it is not too late. Do not wait.
COVID-19 vaccines offer significant protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death. People who are not fully vaccinated are more than 18 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated.
This protection will be reinforced and extended through booster injections for people aged 65 and over, with a high-risk medical condition, working in high-risk environments or living or working in a place where many people work together. . Boosters are currently available for people who received their second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago.
Ongoing research into the safety of COVID-19 has made vaccines accessible to more people, including adolescents aged 12 to 17. In addition, clinical trials are being completed and analyzed for children aged 5 to 11.
Research has also shown that vaccines are safe for women who are pregnant, wish to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Last week, the CDC issued a health advisory urgently recommending that people who are pregnant, recently pregnant, or trying to become pregnant get the vaccine. The action came as August was the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths among pregnant women in a single month. There are significant risks of complications associated with COVID-19 in pregnant women.
“We still have a way to go to get everyone fully immunized, but we should all be celebrating this moment,” Cohen said. “Credit for reaching this milestone goes to the thousands of tireless providers, community and faith groups, advocates and government officials who have worked to provide education and, most importantly, access to COVID-19 vaccines across the country. ‘State. You have saved millions of lives. Let’s keep up the good work.
Visit MySpot.nc.gov for more COVID-19 information and updates and to find a vaccine location near you.
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