Here s how to contact vaccine providers in Henderson County
As of the past week, the Henderson County Department of Public Health, Pardee UNC Health Care, AdventHealth Hendersonville and Blue Ridge Health are the only providers in Henderson County holding mass vaccination clinics for the general public.
All available COVID-19 vaccination appointments with each provider quickly book up. You may be unable to book an appointment online or over the phone if appointments are all filled, so the public is encouraged to check back with providers frequently.
Local call centers are flooded with thousands of calls to fill just hundreds of appointments. Distributors in Henderson County have to count on the state for all allotments and are given short notice on updated supplies.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Henderson County is projecting a positive financial situation as it begins the process of formulating the next fiscal year s budget.
The Board of Commissioners met Wednesday morning to receive a report from County Manager Steve Wyatt, a financial forecast and an overview of budget priorities.
Commissioners heard updates and goals related to Henderson County Public Schools, Blue Ridge Community College and the Henderson County Department of Public Health, as well as renovations at the Henderson County Courthouse, the county jail and the VFW building.
The challenges from the pandemic have been unlike anything Wyatt has seen in his career, he said. During last year’s budget cycle, commissioners made decisions “conservatively and cautiously” that have put them in a comfortable financial position.
Earlier coverage:
When the Henderson County Department of Public Health began scheduling appointments for the Covid-19 vaccinattion a week ago, it had 1,000 appointments available. All were booked within the seven hours the call center was open.
On Jan. 13 the call center received approximately 19,000 telephone calls for 600 appointments that were still available. With calls overwhelming the phone system, the Health Department expanded the call system on Monday. Henderson County obligates all vaccines within the first 48 hours of receiving them. On Wednesday, Jan. 20, with a new supply of doses in hand and the enhanced call system in place, the Department of Public Health will again begin booking approximately 700 appointments. The call volume is expected to be heavy.
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.