[ad_1]
Raleigh, North Carolina – Health care providers across North Carolina have administered 95% of the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine the state has received to date, the Department of Health and Human Services secretary said Tuesday, Dr Mandy Cohen.
About 260,000 of those first 630,000 doses were given last week, Cohen said. With the required second dose of each of the two vaccines available, providers in North Carolina have administered more than 810,000 doses to date, she said.
“[This] demonstrates to the federal government that North Carolina is ready to take more vaccines and that we need these additional vaccines now, ”she said at an afternoon press conference.
Coronavirus Vaccinations in North Carolina
The next shipment of 120,000 doses is expected Wednesday, but Cohen said state officials are hoping the federal allocation will increase over time now that North Carolina has nearly exhausted its available supply.
Much of the next 120,000 doses have already been committed to mass immunization clinics set up weeks ago when the state was trying to clear its backlog of available doses, she said. As a result, supplies to many counties will be severely limited in the coming weeks.
“This week is going to look particularly tight, with many vendors receiving little or no allowances,” Cohen said.
The supply issue has caused frustration for providers and residents of the state as clinics struggle to meet demand for vaccines.
On Monday, the Orange County health department said his clinic was running out of first doses and it was not clear when he would receive more from the state. County officials sent out a notice saying it could take weeks or even months for all healthcare workers and people aged 65 or older to be vaccinated.
Wake County received fewer shots than expected this week and was therefore slowing appointment-only vaccinations. Clinics in Cumberland and Lee counties were primarily open for those receiving their second dose of the vaccine.
To give providers more stability, Cohen said, the state has committed to spreading 84,000 doses of its weekly federal government allocation among the 100 counties, based on population. Providers will receive a minimum number of doses they can expect over the next three weeks, which will make it easier to hold clinics and schedule appointments, she said.
The remaining 36,000 doses each week will be used to readjust vaccine distribution, both geographically and in “marginalized communities,” to ensure that the vaccine gets to where it is most needed, she said. .
“We continue to expect vaccine suppliers to use all the first doses every week or to transfer them to a supplier who can,” she said. “We will always have a supply of second doses on hand … but those first doses need to be commercially available and given to people every week.”
More than 100,000 doses have been transferred between providers statewide to get them delivered more quickly, she said.
Pushing the number of first doses administered to nearly 100 percent of the state’s allotment, Cohen said, would put North Carolina “on the front line” for larger weekly government distributions.
“In the coming weeks there may be more opportunities for more vaccines. That’s why I want all of our suppliers to be ready,” she said. “I want to make sure we’re prepared to say to the federal government, ‘Yeah, we can take this now, today, and get it out quickly. “”
[ad_2]
Source link