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Raleigh, North Carolina – Most healthy adults in Wake County are unlikely to receive a coronavirus vaccine until late spring or summer, local health experts said Thursday.
Meanwhile, the virus is raging in the county, with more than 7,400 new infections reported in November. Associate Medical Director Dr Nicole Mushonga said the county was on track to break that record in December.
Daily cases increased 63% in the first two weeks of December and have now exceeded 700 per day for the first time, Mushonga said.
“There is a lot of concern about a spike in cases after the holiday season,” said Matt Calabria, chairman of the Wake County Commissioners Council, who received a local vaccination schedule from doctors on Thursday and other experts.
“We are seeing the peaks after each of these holidays, and we are monitoring this closely,” Mushonga said.
Local hospitals are also seeing an increase in the number of patients being treated for COVID-19, surpassing numbers seen during summer peaks, officials said.
“Our staff are tired – everyone’s staff are tired – but they all step up and do what needs to be done,” said Donald Gintzig, President and CEO of WakeMed.
WakeMed in Raleigh and Cary, UNC Rex Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital were all due to receive their first shipments of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, allowing them to begin inoculating some of their staff.
The county health department will begin receiving doses of the vaccine next week, after a second vaccine, produced by Moderna, received emergency clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration.
“We are far from being out of the woods. We will fight this pandemic for months, ”Calabria said.
“Anyone who wants a vaccine will eventually get one, but it’s important for the community to understand that the immunization process will take months,” said Jason Wittes, Wake County Pharmacy Director. “Realistically, most healthy, middle-aged adults won’t get vaccinated until late spring or early summer next year.”
The nationwide distribution plan calls for vaccination of healthcare workers and residents and long-term care staff first, followed by adults most at risk of serious illness or exposure to the virus. Next come the workers and students of critical industry, followed by everyone else.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two injections, the second injection of Pfizer three weeks after the first and the second injection of Moderna after four weeks. Wittes said an organized system involving a vaccination card will ensure that each person receives the two doses of the correct type and at the right time.
“Everyone will be able to keep track of who is getting which vaccine, when, for what it is due,” he said.
The pandemic has also hit Wake County hard.
“COVID-19 has caused an economic downturn, and this in turn has caused a decrease in our tax revenues, especially our sales tax revenues,” Calabria said. “This is where we saw a big blow to our budgets, probably tens of millions of dollars.”
The county has cut jobs and postponed projects to reduce its budget.
“We are extremely skinny right now,” he said.
The county has received nearly $ 200 million from the federal government through the CARES Act to help cover much of its response costs, but Calabria has said Congress needs to provide more support to governments. premises in any new aid program.
“The coming months will be crucial in our fight against the pandemic,” he said. “It is very important to provide strong support to local governments as we engage in the daily battle against the virus.”
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