Updated Tuesday, March 2 at 3:13 pm
The COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available to more people in North Carolina and South Carolina, as states are expanding eligibility for vaccines over the next week.
Governor Roy Cooper announced that all essential frontline workers in North Carolina are eligible for vaccination appointments starting on Wednesday – a week before the previous eligibility date, March 10. Cooper and state health officials cited the increased supply of vaccines in the state, especially after Johnson & Johnson’s single injection vaccine received federal approval over the weekend.
“We were hearing more and more from several suppliers that they were ready to go into this category,” Cooper said during a news conference on Tuesday.
North Carolina’s vaccine plan group 3 includes, among others, grocery workers, police, fire and restaurant workers. School teachers and staff, also considered essential frontline workers in Group 3, were eligible from 24 February.
“Our essential frontline workers are in their jobs during this pandemic, ensuring that we can buy food, keeping ourselves safe and providing vital services that we all depend on,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, state secretary for health and human services .
Cohen said North Carolina plans to move to Group 4 of its vaccination plan on March 24, starting with people with conditions like cancer, Down syndrome, hypertension and sickle cell disease. Group 4 also includes homeless people and incarcerated people who have not yet been vaccinated.
Mecklenburg county officials said at a news conference on Tuesday that grocery and restaurant workers would be allowed for the first time to schedule vaccines from March 10 to March 31, starting on Thursday at 8:30 am. Groups 1 through 3 are eligible for vaccines across the county health department as of March 10.
Gibbie Harris, director of public health for Mecklenburg County, said consultations at the Bojangles Coliseum, where the county health department operates its vaccine clinic, are scheduled until March 9.
“The challenge for the governor to make decisions about when to open things up is that he has to look at the entire state,” said Harris, adding that the county will get through the rest of Group 3 “as fast as we can.”
Residents may be able to schedule appointments earlier through Atrium and Novant.
“Any group that is eligible is eligible to schedule appointments through our scheduling platform when they become eligible,” said Dr. Gary Little, senior vice president and medical director at Atrium.
Appointments at Atrium’s “permanent sites” were scheduled until June, Little said, but emerging vaccination events may offer additional places. According to Dr. David Priest, an infectious disease physician at Novant Health, Novant increases patient appointments as more vaccine becomes available.
Meanwhile, in Iredell County, residents will soon be able to schedule vaccine appointments online. The Iredell County Health Department announced on Monday that it is launching an online consultation system next week. Previously, the county only maintained clinic clinics.
Eligibility is also expanding in South Carolina, as more than half of the people living in the state can receive a chance starting on Monday.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced on Tuesday that appointments can be scheduled on March 8 for anyone aged 55 and over, between 16 and 64 with high-risk medical conditions and health care workers. ahead, like policemen, grocery stores and daycare centers.
Authorities estimate that 2.7 million people will be eligible for the vaccine in the state, with a population of about 5 million.
Teachers are also included among those eligible, and McMaster said the state has plans to open vaccination clinics for teachers.
McMaster then proceeded to the press conference to urge lawmakers to pass legislation requiring schools to open five days a week.
“There are no more excuses or justifications for each of our schools not to open five days a week for face-to-face classes,” he said. “The consequences of not doing this are immeasurable. Our schools must be open. “
South Carolina health officials say the next group released for the vaccine will be workers aged 45 and over and essential. They will be able to make commitments from April 12. And everyone else aged 16 and over will be eligible from May 3.
More than 600,000 people in the state have already received at least the first dose of the vaccine. The vast majority of them belong to Phase 1A of the state’s vaccine plan, which includes healthcare professionals, residents and employees in long-term care facilities and people aged 65 and over.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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