North Carolina’s work to reach underserved and historically marginalized populations and deliver equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines is a model approach for the country, according to a new report released this week by the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA).
While vaccine supplies are limited, it is important North Carolinians continue practicing the 3Ws and get tested for COVID-19 if they have symptoms or have been in close contact to someone with COVID-19.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. announced beginning on March 17, people in Group 4 who have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness and people who live in certain congregate settings will be eligible for vaccination. The rest of Group 4, which includes other essential workers will become eligible April 7. (See Deeper Dive)
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has added new resources to its Spanish language COVID-19 vaccination website, Protégete a ti y a los demás. ¡VACÚNATE!, including a new video on COVID-19 vaccines and tools for understanding vaccination groups and finding locations to get vaccinated.
After a slow start, North Carolina is ramping up its COVID-19 vaccinations. Some 9.2% of residents got the first shot of COVID-19 vaccines by Monday, Feb. 8, when 970,162 people had received a first dose, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Two days earlier, an average 8.6% of COVID-19 tests came back positive.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will kick off a new live stream talk series to address and provide updates on the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan on Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
On January 27, North Carolina reported administering 99% of its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and as of this morning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks the state as 6th in the nation for total doses administered, 12th for first doses administered per 100,000 people, and 17th for total doses administered per 100,000 people.
As of January 18, North Carolina has received about a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly 330,000 of those doses have been injected into the arms of North Carolinians. That may sound like a big number. But it’s not nearly big enough.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it had updated its vaccination plan to align with new federal recommendations issued last week. The changes simplify the vaccine process and continue the state’s commitment to first protect health care workers caring for patients with COVID-19, people who are at the highest risk of being hospitalized or dying, and those at high risk of exposure to COVID-19.
When I announced North Carolina had its first known COVID case on March 3rd, most of us didn’t expect to be living like this in December. Instead of preparing for beloved holiday traditions, we’re making virtual gathering plans and mourning the loss of more than 290,000 Americans from COVID-19.