Vaccine Distribution: Who will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina?

Raleigh, NC (WTVD)-148 pages long, North Carolina Vaccination Plan It is packed with details detailing who will receive the vaccine when it is distributed.

Distribution is divided into four phases.

• Phase 1A: Healthcare workers and first responders at high risk of exposure to the virus. Nursing care staff are also included in this priority group. (Estimated population: 140,000 to 161,000)
• Phase 1B: Residents of long-term care environments, people with two or more chronic illnesses, also known as comorbidities, who live inside or outside a collective living environment such as prisons, prisons, and immigrant camps-as such. Frontline workers aged 65 and over, including residents of multiple locations, with two or more comorbidities, and staff in a collective living environment. (Estimated population: 587K-790K)
• Phase 2: All other residents of the housing complex, firefighters and police officers, food packaging, preparation and processing workers, manufacturing workers, construction workers, transport workers, some retail and grocery store workers Persons, child care workers, adults with chronic conditions, people over the age of 65, and school and university staff from kindergarten to high school. (Estimated population: 1.18 million to 1.57 million)
• Phase 3: Energy / Telecommunications Workers, Water / Waste / Energy Businesses, All Other Retail Workers, Religious Leaders and Other Memberships, Kindergarten to High School Students and Universities / Universities (Estimated Population: 574K-767K people)
• Phase 4: All others not identified in Phases 1-3 (estimated population: 3.6-4 million)

Tuesday COVID-19 update news briefingDr. Mandy Cohen and Governor Roy Cooper said North Carolina has applied for the Pfizer vaccine and expects the first distribution to arrive December 15-17.

“The number of vaccines the state receives may not be enough for an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 individuals,” said Michelle Reese, interim director of the North Carolina Medical College. The first phase. “

How UK Approval of Pfizer Vaccine Helps North Carolina

Reese is also a member of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Board and spends a lot of time working with state health leaders on how to approach vaccines. The group also supports North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services logistics and vaccine communications.

Who will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Q & A with experts from NC Advisory Board

According to the plan, the employer, collective living facility, or school of a person is responsible for identifying which stage a person will enter. In addition, everyone in Phase 4 will identify themselves to the vaccine medical staff.

The COVID-19 vaccine must be given multiple times. How authorities plan to ensure compliance.

The Pfizer vaccine is given in two divided doses approximately every 21 days.
“When we hear about 80,000 doses, etc., what we really need to think about is actually vaccination, as everyone needs two doses for complete protection.” Ries said.

Dr. Adiaros, Chief Medical Director of Duke Regional Hospital, said her staff were ready to receive the vaccine when it arrived.

“We’ve been thinking about this for months,” Ross said. “(Duke) Like other healthcare organizations, we’ve been prepared for this for some time, keeping up with the latest developments and needs.”

See: Chief Medical Director of Duke Region Explains How Hospitals Prepare for COVID-19 Vaccine

A spokesperson for the Duke University Health System said employees in these four categories do not need to be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine, unlike the mandatory flu vaccine.

Next week, Pfizer will meet with the FDA on an emergency license before the vaccine is deployed. The next week, Moderna will be in turn. Dr. Cohen hopes that if Moderna is approved by the EUA, people in North Carolina will be able to get vaccinated sooner.

The North Carolina vaccine program was first introduced in mid-October. However, health professionals are constantly updating and the documentation remains in draft format.