The first COVID-19 vaccine shipment in Onslow County has arrived and will be administered on a voluntary basis to front-line healthcare workers most at risk of exposure to COVID-19 on Friday.
Onslow Memorial Hospital announced that it received 975 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Thursday morning and the hospital will begin administering the vaccine to employees on Friday.
At this time, the vaccine is voluntary for all employees, the hospital stated.
The initial supply of the vaccine is limited and will be administered in phases, with those most at risk of exposure receiving the vaccinations first.
According to information from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services the initial supply of the vaccine is going to hospitals to vaccinate health care workers at high risk of exposure to COVID-19, including doctors, nurses and those cleaning areas used by COVID-19 patients.
Onslow Memorial Hospital is expected to get the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine in Onslow County this week but few other details have been released about who will get the first vaccinations.
Citing security concerns, OMH is not releasing the specific date of receipt of the vaccine but Erin Tallman, senior vice president, patient advocacy and compliance officer, said they anticipate putting out a news release with further information later this week.
Tallman said OMH is expecting about 975 doses of the vaccine.
Onslow County Manager Sharon Russell indicated in a Monday night COVID-19 update that the first vaccinations will include healthcare workers on the front line of treating COVID-19 patients.
The first COVID-19 vaccinations released to the public continue to stir controversy and with that day shortly approaching for health care workers, we now know how it will be administered: another phased approach of combating the coronavirus.
Onslow County Manager Sharon Russell said Monday afternoon the first batch of vaccines should be arriving within the next few days for the health care workers who come in contact with coronavirus patients.
Onslow County Health Department and Onslow Emergency Services are in the process of planning for future phases of vaccine administration, according to a news release. Listed among those earlier phases are nursing homes, law enforcement and public safety essential employees.