In North Carolina, people aged 65 and over, healthcare professionals, employees and residents of long-term care facilities and frontline workers in close contact with the public are eligible to receive a vaccine.
Groups 1-3 are eligible from March 3rd. Group 4 – people with underlying health problems – may be vaccinated as early as March 24, and a date for Group 5 – the general public – has yet to be determined.
Important links: Vaccine information in each municipality | Quiz: Find your vaccine group | Find a COVID-19 test site near you | Coronavirus NC Maps and Data | Full pandemic coverage
Together, Groups 3 and 4 include millions of North Carolinians. Here is a list of who fits in each group.
Group 3: essential frontline workers
Education and childcare
- Teachers, teacher assistants and student teachers
- School owners, directors and supervisors
- Bus and van drivers
- Family support team
- Food service workers
- Classroom support and administrative staff
- Custody and maintenance staff
- Therapists and medical staff
- Local consultants needed
- Media and IT experts
- School security staff
- Librarians
- School administrative staff
- Instructional support team
- School nurses (became eligible in Group 1)
Food and Agriculture
All workers in stores selling groceries and medicines, including:
- Meat packing workers
- Food processing workers
- Rural workers
- Agricultural workers / migrant fisheries
- Food supply and distribution chain workers
- Restaurant workers
Manufacturing
- Workers who manufacture medical supplies, medical equipment or PPE
- Workers manufacturing products needed for food and agricultural supply chains
University / College
- College and university instructors and support staff
Community and government
- US postal service and other transport workers
- Court workers
- Elected officers
- Clergy
- Homeless shelter staff
- Veterinarians, veterinary staff and veterinary students
Health care and public health
- Public health workers
- Social workers
Rescuers and public safety
- Firefighters and EMS
- Law enforcement
- Correction workers
- Security officers
- Public agency employees responding to abuse and neglect
Transport
- Public transport workers
- Motor Vehicle Division Workers
- Transport repair and maintenance technicians
- Workers supporting road infrastructure
Group 4: Adults at high risk of exposure and increased risk of serious illness
- Asthma (moderate to severe)
- Cancer
- Cerebrovascular disease or history of stroke
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Dementia or other neurological condition
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes
- Down’s syndrome
- A heart disease, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) of: immune deficiencies, HIV, chronic use of steroids or other drugs to weaken the immune system, history of blood transplantation from solid organ or bone marrow
- Liver disease, including hepatitis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Overweight or obesity
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease (not including sickle cell trait) or thalassemia
- Smoking (current or previous, defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your lifetime)
- People living on the streets or living in a shelter
- Correctional center, such as prison or prison