Another wave of people will be eligible for the COVID vaccine next Wednesday, including those with high-risk conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
Group 4 also includes those who are overweight and obese, a factor related to more serious diseases with COVID.
Some counties are already vaccinating these people or booking appointments for them.
After Johnston County announced it would include Group 4 in a first-come, first-served and first-dose clinic on Friday afternoon, so many cars lined up at Johnston Community College on Friday as organizers announced they had reached capacity before from the scheduled start time of the event, at 2 p.m.
Durham County began scheduling appointments for group 4 on Thursday and will begin vaccinating them on March 17, according to a press release.
People will not have to prove proof of a state of health to register.
Wake County plans to open its online vaccination registration system to those in Group 4 affected by the governor’s decision on or before March 17, spokeswoman Stacy Beard said.
“We have been able to administer, on average, more than 10,000 first doses a week, so we are optimistic about this progress through eligible groups,” Beard said in an email to WRAL News, noting that people who have registered online are getting a scheduled vaccination appointment in less than a week, on average.
WRAL has compiled a list of specific health conditions that make you eligible for group 4.
For example, a person who is 5.5 and 150 pounds would be considered overweight. Someone who is 5’10 and 175 pounds would also be considered overweight and would qualify for a vaccine. If you’re not sure whether or not you qualify for a vaccine based on your weight, check out a BMI calculator to see if you fall into the overweight or obesity category.
Smokers are also included in group 4. The term “smoker” is defined as having smoked 100 cigarettes during your lifetime.
Some have expressed concern about the inclusion of smokers, but Holland said patients with some type of lung damage may get worse if they are diagnosed with COVID.
North Carolina will move to Group 4 a week ahead of schedule. In Chatham County, more than 1,000 people have previously registered.
Health director Michael Zelek said Group 3 appointments are reserved. However, some counties, such as Johnston, Vance and Granville, have already begun vaccinating Group 4.
WRAL has compiled a list of sites and contact information for sites that administer COVID vaccines statewide.
An NC county opens appointments for group 5
Onslow County is temporarily opening appointments for group 5, but will not have priority over anyone in group 4. However, if they have additional doses, adults in group 5 could make an appointment.
People in group 5 can call the hotline at 910-989-5027. They can enter a list and, when the slots open, they will receive a call. This is to make sure your doses are not missed, according to the guidelines.