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Smithfield, North Carolina – Another wave of people will become eligible for a COVID vaccine next Wednesday – including those with high-risk conditions, like diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
Group 4 also includes overweight and obese people – a factor that has been linked to more serious illness with COVID.
Some counties are already vaccinating these people or making an appointment for them.
After Johnston County announced it would include Group 4 at a first-come, first-served, first-dose clinic on Friday afternoon, with so many cars lined up at Johnston Community College on Friday that organizers said they had reached capacity before the scheduled start time of the event at 2 p.m.
County Durham started making appointments for those in Group 4 on Thursday and will begin vaccinating them on March 17, according to a press release.
People will not have to show proof of a health problem to register.
Wake County plans to open its online vaccination registration system to people in Group 4 affected by the governor’s decision no later than March 17, spokeswoman Stacy Beard said.
“We have been able to administer, on average, over 10,000 first doses per week, so we are optimistic about this progress in eligible groups,” Beard said in an email to WRAL News, noting that people who registered online get a scheduled vaccination appointment in less than a week, on average.
WRAL has compiled a list of specific health issues that make you eligible for Group 4.
For example, a person who is 5 feet 5 inches and 150 pounds would be considered overweight. A person of 5’10 and 175 pounds would also be considered overweight and would qualify for a vaccine. If you’re unsure whether or not you qualify for a vaccine based on your weight, take a look at a BMI calculator to see if you fall into the overweight or obese category.
Smokers are also included in Group 4. The term “smoker” is defined as having smoked 100 cigarettes in your lifetime.
Some have expressed concerns about including smokers – but Holland said patients with any type of lung injury could do worse if diagnosed with COVID.
North Carolina will move to Group 4 a week ahead of schedule. In Chatham County, over 1,000 people have pre-registered.
Health director Michael Zelek said Group 3 appointments were booked. Some counties, however, like Johnston, Vance, and Granville have already started to vaccinate Group 4.
WRAL has compiled a list of locations and contact information for places administering COVID vaccines across the state.
One NC County Opens Appointments For Group 5
Onslow County is tentatively opening appointments for Group 5 – but they will not have priority over anyone in Group 4. However, if they have extra doses, adults in Group 5 may be able to make an appointment.
People in Group 5 can call the hotline at 910-989-5027. They can subscribe to a list and when the slots open they will receive a reminder. This is to make sure their doses are not wasted, as directed.
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