According to reports from Raleigh’s News & Observer, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday to the N.C. Association of County Commissioners that the state will move into vaccinating individuals 65 and older.
Currently, the state’s been operating within Phase 1B, Group 1 — vaccinating individuals 75 and older. Vaccinating the 65 and older crowd was scheduled for Phase 2, initially.
The move comes after Tuesday’s press briefing, when Cooper announced the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended states amp up the program and begin serving the 65 and over population. The announcement came as a surprise, according to the governor and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of health and human services.
“A continuing problem with the federal government is they shift their advice on what the priorities of the vaccine should be,” Cooper said on Tuesday. “This recommendation was based upon the fact that [Covid-19 is] so widespread, and we know older people get hit with this.”
Demand for the vaccine has been high and supply cannot keep apace statewide. New Hanover County and its vaccination partners, New Hanover Regional Medical Center and its physician group primary practices, as well as Wilmington Health, are filling up appointment slots within mere hours of announcing dose availability.
According to the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, the federal government would begin to ship both first and second doses moving forward as manufacturers also increase supply.
Port City Daily reached out to local public health officials to see how this would affect the process moving forward. We will announce its plans as soon as we get official word.
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