Vaccine administrations will continue Thursday and Friday in New Hanover County. All available appointments are booked. Next week the county will pivot to comply with new statewide guidelines, requesting counties to commence with vaccinations of all individuals 65 and older. (Port City Daily photo/Courtesy New Hanover County)
NEW HANOVER COUNTY Change-ups in the vaccination process this week have trickled down from federal to county levels. The floodgates of eligibility are widening and additional medical care providers are joining the frontline grind.
Aligning with
guidance from Raleigh, New Hanover County announced Thursday future vaccine shipments will be partly allocated for residents between the ages of 65 and 74. Since Jan. 7, the county had been focusing on individuals 75 and older. The change adds approximately 20,000 county residents to the immediate eligibility list.
NHC estimates 37,000 people 65 years and older now eligible after state updates vaccine guidance
NHC not ready to include 65+ age group in vaccine roll-out By WECT Staff | January 14, 2021 at 2:22 PM EST - Updated January 14 at 7:21 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - With the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services revising its guidance on Thursday to include individuals 65 years and older in the current group to be vaccinated, New Hanover County officials estimate that this update will make 37,000 people eligible for the vaccine locally.
“New Hanover County will work to ensure that even more of our residents can receive a vaccine under this revised “Group 2” outlined by the state,” according to a news release from the county. “As the county receives additional shipments of the vaccine, Public Health will work with our local healthcare partners to share the vaccine and reach as many people as possible who are now eligible under the state’s updated guidance.”
N.C. changed its vaccination plan so individuals ages 65 and older can get the Moderna or Pfizer series of shots. NHC will fall in line with the new order once it gets through all Friday appointments and receives another shipment of vaccines. (Port City Daily/File)
NEW HANOVER COUNTY New Hanover County Health and Human Services confirmed it will fall in line with the state’s updated vaccination plan to now serve individuals 65 years and older. First, the county must work through its limited supply of vaccines to fulfill current appointments for patients 75 and older through Friday.
County officials confirmed the change will make an additional 37,000 people eligible for the vaccine in New Hanover County.
The New Hanover County Health Department on Jan. 7 began vaccinating seniors 75 years old and older as part of the state’s current guidelines for eligibility. State officials are working through the Trump administration’s announcement Tuesday about expanded guidelines for vaccine eligibility.
Click here to read more on that.
The county opened appointment slots on Thursday and Friday for the 955 vaccine doses it now has. Less than three hours after announcing the openings, county officials reported shortly before 2 p.m. that those appointments were all full.
The NHRMC Physician Group primary care practices opened COVID-19 vaccinations to their established patients in the eligible age group starting Jan. 8.
NHRMC Physician Group Primary Care practices will start administering Covid-19 vaccines. (Port City Daily/File)
SOUTHEASTERN NC NHRMC Physician Group Primary Care practices have opened Covid-19 vaccine appointments for their patients 75 years and older, according to a press release from New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
The physician group has the vaccine available at multiple offices and locations, including New Hanover Medical Group, Coastal Family Medicine, NHRMC Physician Specialists Internal Medicine Specialists/Care Team, Wrightsville Beach Family Medicine, Pender Primary Care, and Jacksonville Primary Care.
New Hanover County Health and Human Services (NHCHHS) will provide 1,950 doses to start.
“By transferring a portion of our vaccines to the hospital, it will further Public Health’s efforts to get the vaccine to some of the most vulnerable in our community, as quickly as possible,” said Donna Fayko, director of NHCHHS.