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Rocky Mount, North Carolina – The effort to vaccinate the elderly against the coronavirus continues to have a difficult roll-out in North Carolina.
Vehicles lined up for miles on Thursday for a drive-thru vaccination clinic that the Nash County Health Department held outside Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount.
People started lining up at 6 a.m. for the 1 p.m. clinic, which aimed to vaccinate people aged 75 or older.
“Nobody wants to catch it. That’s why I’ve been here since 6:30 am this morning waiting to get the vaccine,” Pat Mauldin said.
“It’s important because we, like millions of others I’m sure, have been home since March,” said retired teacher Marie Mullins.
“People will be able to go back to work and live normal lives,” Mullins said, biting back tears. “Much more important than travel or even family … people can get back to work and find life and food in their children’s lunches and kids at school – and that’s what’s important . “
said, choking back tears. “[It’s] more important for people to be able to return to work and lead normal lives. “
James Ervin, 79, said he brought snacks, drinks and his journal to keep him occupied while he waited.
“From what I’m seeing and the traffic lined up, I might just get turned down today. I hope not,” Ervin said. “I’m concerned that others are getting theirs too, of course.”
The health department had only 1,000 doses of vaccine to distribute on a first come, first served basis.
Health director Bill Hill said his staff do their best to immediately notify people when the queue gets too long so people don’t waste their time.
“It’s hard enough to wait three hours and get shot, but it’s worse to wait three hours and not have one available,” Hill said. “It’s hard to turn people away, but even [Wednesday], we were talking about a makeup clinic for this one. “
Similar lines were seen on Wednesday when other counties began entering phase 1B of the national vaccine distribution plan. Long lines have formed at community centers, hospitals, and vaccination clinics in Cumberland, Halifax and Wayne counties, among others.
Healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients and residents and staff in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities were in phase 1A, which began last month. Some counties, including much of the Triangle, remain in this phase as they attempt to immunize their large numbers of health workers.
The first group in phase 1B is made up of people aged 75 or over.
On Wednesday, a vaccination clinic at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville closed 30 minutes after opening when crowds quickly outnumbered the 250 available doses of vaccine. In Goldsboro, seniors lined up for hours just for the chance to sign up for one of the 550 COVID-19 vaccines available this week.
A vaccination clinic opened Thursday for a second day at Halifax Community College. Staff said they expected lower turnout than Wednesday, when queues wrapped around the parking lot as people waited outside for hours.
While thousands of eligible North Carolinians are seeking vaccines, counties have very limited numbers and are urging residents to be patient. State health officials have assured North Carolinians that anyone wishing to get vaccinated will have their chance, but distribution will take time.
Retirement homes still need vaccines
Even though much of the state is moving forward with Phase 1B, it is estimated that coronavirus vaccines have only reached a quarter of nursing homes and long-term care facilities in North Carolina.
As part of an effort to vaccinate long-term care staff and residents who fall under Phase 1A, staff from Walgreens and CVS visited facilities to administer vaccines under contract. federal.
Adam Sholar, president and CEO of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, said he hopes to see vaccines reach all facilities by the end of the month.
“Some clinics seemed a bit more organized than others, but from what we’re hearing I think at this point we can say it was the first week of what is truly an unprecedented rollout and something that we keep our eyes on, ”he says.
Sholar said that while the vast majority of nursing home residents responded positively to the vaccine, long-term care workers were less willing. He said he hoped attitudes would change as clinics continued in the coming weeks.
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