First Moderna Doses Arrive in North Carolina UPDATED 12:32 PM ET Dec. 22, 2020 PUBLISHED 4:05 PM ET Dec. 21, 2020 PUBLISHED 4:05 PM EST Dec. 21, 2020
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RALEIGH, N.C. – An emergency department head in the Sandhills on Monday said it will be at least a couple of weeks before the next vaccination phase can begin.
Dr. Michael Zappa, Cape Fear Valley Health s chief of emergency services, said the emphasis right now is on health care workers who are in close contact with COVID-19 patients. People in long-term care facilities will be next. Zappa said his team will need two to four weeks to finish this phase. He said other hospitals elsewhere in the state likely face a similar timeline.
When that happens, what will it be like? Here’s what to expect.
1. Don’t expect to pay. The vaccines are free because the federal government is paying for them.
“Cost is not an obstacle to getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website. “Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost. However, vaccination providers may be able to charge administration fees for giving the shot.”
2. Don’t expect to experience a great deal of pain. Several who took the vaccine Tuesday said it didn’t hurt and that it felt like other vaccinations.
That’s the stark warning from health officials.
Jennifer Green, the Cumberland County health director, spoke to the county Board of Health about the COVID-19 crisis at its meeting Tuesday. Dr. Sam Fleishman, a board member and chief medical officer for Cape Fear Valley Health system, talked about the potential impact on Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville.
Board members used computers to attend the virtual meeting, which was shown on the county’s social media sites.
Health officials have highlighted the importance of what has become known as “the three W’s” wearing masks, waiting six feet apart from other people and washing hands frequently to reduce the spread of the virus.
Updated December 15, 2020 7:48 p.m. EST
By Amanda Lamb and Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporters
Chapel Hill, N.C. UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill received its first shipment of 2,925 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech s coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday and started vaccinating staff there and at a Hillsborough facility.
Cape Fear Valley Health also received vaccine shipments Tuesday morning at its flagship hospital in Fayetteville and its Hoke Healthcare facility. System officials said they expected a shipment to Bladen County Hospital by the end of the day. A vaccine is a great start for us, but we must continue to stay the course, continue to wear masks, wash your hands, practice physical distance, said Dr. Roxie Wells, president of Hoke Healthcare, who was among the first to get vaccinated after the doses arrived.
FAYETTEVILLE
The first COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in bulk to Fayetteville Tuesday morning. This the day we begin to turn the tide. This is the day we begin to fight back against COVID-19, said Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Mike Nagowski. I wanted to demonstrate to our entire workforce and community that we believe in this vaccine.
Nagowski told ABC11 this first shipment contains about 5,000 doses. Although he s not mandating staffers take it, he s encouraging it. This vaccination in the fight against COVID-19 is highly anticipated.
Three of Cape Fear Valley health hospitals are among the first in the Sandhills to get the initial round of doses. This first round includes front line workers in the medical center s emergency department and COVID inpatient units like Dr. Chima who understands the fear associated with this vaccine and communities of color.