Do we still need to get COVID vaccines? Buncombe to budget $388K for them

Andrew Jones, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
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ASHEVILLE - Buncombe County Health and Human Services is set to get an extra fiscal shot in the arm in the coming weeks to enhance COVID-19 vaccination offerings locally, even as the pandemic begins to slow across the state and nation.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners at its Sept. 6 meeting is slated to approve a budget amendment of $388,445 for money from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Specifically, the funds are part of the state health department's Agreement Addendum 716 CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

"The purpose of AA716 is to continue activities that focus on coordinating and expanding COVID-19 vaccine services, with an emphasis on reaching those disproportionately affected by COVID-19," a proposed budget amendment reads.

Previous coverage: NC's COVID-19 emergency status is gone, but local fights against the virus continue

'Really uncertain': Buncombe County Schools starts semester in need of 114 staff members

Money from this program has been distributed to each of the state's 100 counties at the pandemic's onset, according to public documents.

Tiphereth Hassan, a representative from the YMCA, handed out stickers to children and vaccinated adults during a booster shot clinic with the Mexican Consulate October 8, 2021. Vaccination efforts in Buncombe are ongoing in summer 2022.
Tiphereth Hassan, a representative from the YMCA, handed out stickers to children and vaccinated adults during a booster shot clinic with the Mexican Consulate October 8, 2021. Vaccination efforts in Buncombe are ongoing in summer 2022.

Buncombe is dedicating the money to three things, according to the budget amendment:

  • Paying for such items as contract nurse vaccination staff.

  • Adding temporary communications staff and medical supplies.

  • Support/expand the BCHHS mobile unit and/or team.

More funding for vaccination efforts could help get Buncombe over a vaccination standstill it's been at since late 2021.

According to NCDHHS vaccination data Sept. 1, this is how far Buncombe  — with a 2021 population of more than 270,000 according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics — has progressed in COVID vaccination efforts:

  • People vaccinated with at least one dose: 183,977

  • People vaccinated with initial series complete: 174,316

  • People vaccinated with one booster/additional dose: 114,581

  • Percent of population vaccinated with at least one dose: 70%

  • Percent of population vaccinated with Initial series complete: 67%

  • Percent of population vaccinated with one booster/additional dose: 44%

Buncombe County in 2020 received an initial $640,523 from the program, money slated for similar intervention and program-building initiatives.

COVID continues to infect Buncombe residents and by Sept. 1 had caused 636 deaths.

Since mid-August, there were more than 1,266 new cases in Buncombe reported.

During the last seven days of August, 67 people were hospitalized with the virus in Western North Carolina's 17-hospital Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition region.

Related: Buncombe's new fiscal year starts July 1: Which departments get the most money in FY 2023?

Read this: NC's COVID-19 emergency status is gone, but local fights against the virus continue

Testing sites can be found by searching covid19.ncdhhs.gov/FindTests, and vaccines sites can be found at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.

Additionally, every home in the U.S. is eligible for free testing kits which can be easily ordered at no cost from covid.gov/tests.

Andrew Jones is an investigative reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at @arjonesreports on Facebook and Twitter, 828-226-6203 or arjones@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe to get $388K shot-in-arm for ongoing COVID vaccine response