With NC moving up vaccine dates again, when can you get it? Answers to questions.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Thursday that North Carolina will once again step up its vaccination schedule, making all of Group 4 eligible next week and all remaining adults eligible soon after that.
Previously, the last section of Group 4 was scheduled to become eligible on April 7.
Here’s the updated information on vaccine eligibility in North Carolina.
When are people in Group 4 eligible for vaccines?
Two subsections of Group 4 — those with vulnerable medical conditions and those living in group settings like prisons and homeless shelters — became eligible on March 17.
The rest of Group 4, or Group 4.2, was originally slated to become eligible on April 7, but that group will now become eligible on March 31.
That group includes all essential workers.
Which workers are considered essential workers?
That means the essential workers who did not meet “front line” criteria in Group 3, including those working in the following industries:
▪ Chemical (including workers in petrochemical plants, agricultural chemicals, pharmaceutical facilities, consumer products)
▪ Commercial facilities (including retail workers, hotel workers)
▪ Communications and information technology (including news reporters and staff, service repair dispatchers, data center operators)
▪ Defense industrial base (including workers supporting essential services to meet national security commitments)
▪ Energy (including electric, petroleum, natural and propane gas workers)
▪ Financial services (including workers who maintain systems for processing financial transactions, workers needed to provide consumer access to banking and lending services)
▪ Hazardous materials (including nuclear facilities workers, workers managing medical waste)
▪ Hygiene products and services (including laundromats, sanitation workers)
▪ Public works and infrastructure support services (including plumbers, electricians, exterminators, workers supporting parks)
▪ Residential facilities, housing and real estate
▪ Water and wastewater (including staff at water authorities, wastewater treatment facilities, water sampling and monitoring)
When will Group 5 be eligible for a vaccine?
Cooper said on Thursday that all remaining adults in North Carolina — those in Group 5 — will be eligible for a vaccine on April 7.
How old do you have to be to get a vaccination?
▪ Those age 18 and up can get the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
▪ Those age 16 and up can receive the Pfizer vaccine.
On Wednesday, twin 9-year-old girls from Durham became the first children in the United States to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 as part of a clinical study at Duke Health. The study is the first step in a process that will test the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine in children younger than 12.
If I’m eligible on a certain date, when will I be able to actually get the shot?
Just because you’re eligible on a certain date doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get a vaccination or an appointment on that date. There are still limitations on the number of vaccines available, and some areas of the state may not be able to meet demand — but it’s getting better.
How do I get a vaccine?
▪ The COVID-19 Vaccination information page on the DHHS website can help you find places offering the vaccine.
▪ You should also check with your county health department to learn about its process for signing up.
▪ Contact your primary care physician for information on how your provider — groups such as UNC Health, Duke Health, WakeMed Health, etc. — accept appointments for vaccinations.
▪ The federal government has a mass vaccination site at Four Season Town Centre, just off Interstate 40 in Greensboro. Appointments can be made for indoor or drive-through treatment at GSOmassvax.org or by calling 888-675-4567. The space operates daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. and will be open for two months.
