Over a quarter of NC’s population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19
Over a quarter of all North Carolinians are now fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday.
That’s over 2.6 million people that have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
North Carolina stopped administering the J&J vaccine, along with several other states, earlier this week due to an extremely rare potential risk of blood clots. The decision came after guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of all adults in North Carolina, 32.5% are fully vaccinated.
Increasing vaccinations come as the state has started to see an uptick in new cases after weeks of rapid decline.
Over the last week, DHHS has reported an average of over 2,000 cases per day. A week ago, that average was close to 1,500.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive has increased as well.
Among the tests reported Tuesday, the latest day with available data, 5.1% returned positive.
Over the last week of available data, DHHS reported an average of 6.1% of tests as positive per day.
State health officials have said that the rate should be 5% or below to control the spread of the virus. The seven-day average hasn’t been below 5% since March 18.
Even with the recent uptick in new cases, metrics are still much lower than the peak in January that was due to a post-holiday surge.
In early January, the seven-day average of daily new cases peaked at over 8,600.
COVID-19 data of the day
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation. Here are additional statistics reported Thursday with changes from the previous day:
Total cases: 941,218 (+2,434)
Deaths: 12,359 (+34)
Tests: 11,830,736 (+53,793)
People hospitalized due to the virus: 1,020 (-27)
COVID-19 adult ICU patients: 249 (-5)
Available ICU beds: 513 (-14)
Available inpatient beds: 4,959 (-164)
Patients on ventilators: 912 (-34)
Inpatient and ICU beds are not all used by COVID-19 patients, according to DHHS.
Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. For example, according to the latest DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 15 when 127 people died. The state originally reported that 108 people had died on Jan. 15.
Vaccine doses administered through North Carolina health providers:
First doses arrived: 3,102,650
First doses administered: 2,834,999 (91%)
Second doses arrived: 2,332,765
Second doses administered: 2,072,022 (89%)
Single-shot doses arrived: 333,000
Single-shot doses administered: 199,092 (60%)
Vaccine doses administered in North Carolina through the federal, long-term care program:
First doses administered: 660,217
Second doses administered: 345,612
Single-shot doses administered: 52,301
Total doses arrived: 1,510,810
Total doses administered: 1,058,130 (70%)
Overall vaccine statistics reported Thursday:
Total doses administered: 6,164,243
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,669,027
Percent of population who have received at least one dose: 35.7%
Percent of population fully vaccinated: 25.4%
Percent of population 18 or older who have received at least one dose: 45.3%
Percent of population 18 or older fully vaccinated: 32.5%
Percent of population 65 or older who have received at least one dose: 76.1%
Percent of population 65 or older fully vaccinated: 69.5%
Breakdown of those fully vaccinated by race vs. percentage of total population:
American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.7% (1.7%)
Asian or Pacific Islander: 3.2% (3.5%)
Black or African American: 15.9% (23.1%)
White: 71.7% (71.7%)
Other: 5.4%
Missing or undisclosed: 3.1%
By ethnicity:
Hispanic: 4.6% (9.8%)
Non-Hispanic: 87.9% (90.2%)
Missing or undisclosed: 3.1%
