RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announces new online tool to alert residents on when they're eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Find My Vaccine Groupprompts users with a series of questions to help determine which vaccine group they belong to, and allows people to be notified when their group can get vaccinated.
According to a news release, NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, MD. believes that even with very limited supplies available and potential wait times, every North Carolinian has a spot.
Officials say that North Carolina’s goal is to vaccinate as many people as quickly and equitably as possible and that local vaccine providers have worked tirelessly to ramp up and vaccinate people under difficult circumstances.
The document reports, as of Sunday evening, 88 percent of all first doses have been reported as being administered, but starting January 27, North Carolina will have only 120,000 doses to allocate across the entire state. Although, the news release says that majority of those doses are committed to the large-scale events planned several weeks in advance. This is leaving many providers with fewer resources.
Tomorrow, NCDHHS will share more detailed guidance on when providers will receive a vaccine supply in the coming weeks to ensure more transparency as the state has largely exhausted the backlog of vaccine supply.
Groups 1 and 2 are currently being vaccinated, including health care workers, long-term care staff and residents, and people 65 and older. Group 3 will include frontline essential workers; Group 4 will include adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness; and Group 5 will include everyone.
Detailed information about each group is online at YourShotYourSpot.nc.gov (English) or covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vacuna (Spanish).
Generally, the CDC urges everyone to continue wearing a mask, waiting at least six feet apart and washing hands often.
With a spike in positive cases and hospitalizations, North Carolinians are to adhere to the secretarial directive that remains in effect: People should stay home and only leave for essential purposes such as buying food, accessing health care, and going to school or work.
For more information and to find your vaccine group, visit findmygroup.nc.gov.
