North Carolina Prepares To Receive First Covid-19 Vaccines

As the FDA moves closer to approving the first Covid-19 vaccine, North Carolina prepares to receive the first small shipment. State officials are figuring out what the cast will look like after this.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Cooper said he expected the state to receive its first shipment of around 84,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this month. The Pfizer vaccine is one that requires ultra-cold storage. Already, state hospitals, including Atrium and Novant, have started purchasing refrigeration units to store vaccines.

“North Carolina is working hard to get started when these vaccines are approved and shipped,” Cooper said.

Currently, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine is working with state officials to determine how to prioritize distribution. NC DHHS Secretary Dr Mandy Cohen said the anticipated deployment would take place in the following order:

• Hospital workers such as nurses and doctors, who are at high risk of exposure to Covid-19
• Residents and workers of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes
• “High risk” adults such as those with chronic illnesses

In Mecklenburg County, there are 29 active Covid-19 outbreaks in collective living quarters as of Tuesday afternoon. Half of the 456 deaths from Covid in the county were linked to active outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

Vaccines for everyone: It will take “several months” to have a sufficient supply so that everyone can easily get a Covid-19 vaccine, Cohen said. Officials did not set a timeline for deployment to everyone, such as healthy young adults.

The FDA will likely approve other vaccines soon after approving the one from Pfizer. Moderna, for example, sought FDA approval earlier this month. Like the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna claims to be effective in clinical trials. Eventually, North Carolina will receive weekly doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Here are some other details to know about Covid-19 vaccines:

• The vaccines will be free for everyone in North Carolina, whether or not they have health insurance.
• Neither Pfizer nor Moderna vaccines have serious side effects. Minor side effects of Pfizer include pain at the injection site, fatigue, chills, and fever. Washington post reports; for Moderna this could mean pain at the injection site, muscle pain. and headaches.
• State health officials are urging everyone to get vaccinated when possible.

“We’re concerned that people don’t want to get vaccinated, ”Cooper said. “For this to work, we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

Atrium Dr Lewis McCurdy reminded those worried about the vaccine that vaccinations make the world a safer place.

“I hope people step up and take the vaccine because I think it will be an important way to shorten the duration of this pandemic,” said McCurdy, an infectious disease specialist.

Yes, but: While the vaccine news is encouraging, it is too early to let our guard down, officials have warned. Throughout the vacation, it will always be crucial to wear a mask and maintain social distancing – especially when you are with people outside your household.

Cooper did not adopt tougher coronavirus safety measures on Tuesday, but he said he would if the measures continue to worsen. “All options are on the table,” Cooper said, including a curfew. But for now, he added, following the security measures put in place during phase 3 should help slow the spread of the virus.

“Don’t give up now when help is on the way,” Cooper said.

McCurdy was hoping that enough people will take the vaccine by the spring or summer of next year, creating some level of protection against Covid-19 throughout the community. “What we don’t want to do is get complacent about all the behaviors we’ve been talking about for months now about how to prevent the coronavirus.”

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