State health officials are moving to get COVID-19 shots in arms faster with a number of large scale vaccination events over the next few days.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says more than 45,000 vaccines are expected to be given through these new partnerships with health systems, local health departments and community health centers.
Source: NCDHHS
As of Thursday, 326,198 vaccinations had been given statewide. Fewer than 45,000 North Carolinians have completes the two-shot vaccination series.
New guidelines from the federal government will allow those 65 and older to begin receiving the vaccine.
“I do want to remind folks that the vaccine is limited. When you think about high-thru put events, we’re getting only about 120,000 new doses every week. It’s not going to be something that can run 24-7,” explained NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen on Thursday.
Yet most other states managed to roll out the vaccine more quickly than North Carolina, which has so far administered only about one-third of its allotment. That speed matters, as federal officials have said future distributions may be based on how quickly states are putting shots into arms.
But exactly why North Carolina has fallen behind is complicated.
A survey of dozens of county health departments across the state by the N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network shows a range of problems that have hampered their ability to vaccinate people in the first phase of the rollout namely front-line health workers and the elderly. Problems include: