As of Monday, more than 16,600 people in Sampson County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 13,000 people have been fully vaccinated, officials said.
Finding the trusted voices and partnering with local community organizations has helped Sampson County officials achieve the success they ve had with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout so far.
Yet, despite these numbers, in a large, rural county like Sampson with a population of about 64,000, county officials say there is still more work to be done to reach marginalized communities. Our goal has been to be consistent with the state s goal which is obviously making it as accessible as possible, said Susan Holder, assistant county manager. Regardless of race, gender, ethnicity . we continue to improve and seek ways to do that.
Health departments in Sampson and Robeson counties are hosting COVID-19 vaccination events this month as the state moves to open eligibility to all adults 16 and older on Wednesday.
Both counties have hosted clinics for all North Carolinians in Groups 1-4 since the start of the year, adhering to guidelines set by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and plan to do more to encourage people to get their shot.
All COVID-19 vaccines are offered for free.
Sampson County
The Sampson County Health Department offers the Moderna vaccine and has several COVID-19 events scheduled in April. Each drive-thru event is free.