Local communities with high senior populations worry about vaccine plan
As North Carolina plans to soon begin the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, some communities are worried about a shortage in supply and the ability to administer enough doses to their larger-than-average senior populations.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that vaccines will be open to Group 3, beginning with anyone working in child care or in pre-k-12 schools, on Feb. 24.
Henderson County Health Director Steve Smith voiced concerns Tuesday at a Board of Health meeting that the state would open vaccinations up to Group 3 too soon. The governor made his announcement the following day.
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:
The N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network surveyed local health departments across the state to find out why North Carolina has ranked near the bottom of states in administering the COVID-19 vaccine. We found a lack of manpower, technical problems and logistical hurdles.
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Total e-commerce deals in last five years: 66
When it came to e-commerce this year, Forerunner Ventures focused its investment efforts on companies that are reimagining the future of retail and demonstrate a disregard for the status quo, Johnson said.
The firm led a Series A funding round for Dumpling, a platform that enables individuals to launch their own personal grocery shopping businesses. It also upped its investment in Sunday, a startup that delivers customized lawn and garden products, as well as in Faire, the online wholesale marketplace.
Looking forward to 2021, Johnson said Forerunner is looking to fund companies that fit consumers evolving needs.