On Monday, North Carolina enters 1B, the next phase of its COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan, meaning seniors should soon have access to vaccines.
The first Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which were administered in the United States in mid-December, were prioritized for health care workers and for those living or working in long-term care centers.
Now, other essential front-line workers and people aged 75 and over will also be able to get the vaccine.
At a state briefing last week, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said she hopes to share more information soon about the updated vaccine deployment plan, which could be used by employees of CVS and Walgreens to help manage shots at seniors.
Davidson County, located west of the Triangle, has already announced sign-ups for seniors and will begin distributing to that group on Monday.
It has been 21 days since the first COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, was administered in the Triangle. Anyone who received the Pfizer vaccine on December 14 can now get their second dose.
At least three weeks should separate the administration of the two doses. The Pfizer vaccine appears to be about 52% effective after the first dose and 95% after the second dose. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses.
Phases 2, 3 and 4 are as follows
Phase 2, the next phase, will allow adults at high risk of exposure and risk of serious illness to be vaccinated, including people aged 65 to 74, regardless of their medical condition or life situation.
According to Phase 2, people under the age of 65 can be vaccinated if they have a medical condition that increases their risk of serious COVID-19 disease along with other essential workers and people living or working in care centers.
In phase 3, college, university and high school students aged 16 and over can be vaccinated. When the state enters phase 4, anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get one.
Cohen said it will be months before COVID-19 vaccines become widely available to the public.
“Until most people get vaccinated, everyone should continue to wear a mask, wait six feet away, and wash their hands,” he said.
Coronavirus in North Carolina
North Carolina has seen another rise in COVID-19 cases, with the first two days of 2021 showing 19,000 new cases in our state and most counties in the red, a critical area for community outreach. Doctors told WRAL it will take two weeks after Christmas to see the impact of the holidays on COVID-19 numbers.
As many people return to work on Monday, health officials advise testing anyone traveling or gathering in a large group during the holidays.
Wake County has created two new test sites to help test demand and some patients get results in a matter of hours. No appointment required.
Test sites open Monday include:
Marsh Creek Park, 3050 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Roberts Park, 1300 St. Martin St.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Method Community Park, 514 Method Road, Raleigh
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Monday, North Carolina could surpass 7,000 deaths from COVID-19. The number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is 3,576, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.