NC is in the third week of the COVID vaccine. Here’s how many doses the state has so far.
More than two weeks after the first COVID-19 vaccine became available in the United States, at least 63,500 North Carolinians have received the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Vaccinations started with the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 14, followed by the Moderna vaccine about a week later.
The state’s vaccine plan prioritizes healthcare workers who are treating or working around patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as residents and staff in long-term care facilities.
By the end of last week, North Carolina had received 323,125 doses of of both vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That included 147,225 Pfizer doses and 175,900 of the Moderna vaccine.
This week, another 78,000 doses of Pfizer and 60,800 doses of Moderna vaccine are expected to arrive in North Carolina, said Amy Ellis, a DHHS spokeswoman, in an email.
That means North Carolina will have received a total of 461,925 vaccine doses by the end of this week, including those that already have been administered.
DHHS reported 39,071 vaccinations in North Carolina over the past week, in addition to 24,500 the week before, according to vaccination data on the N.C. health department website. There may have been more vaccinations administered, because data can take as much as three days to update, according to the website.
Both vaccines require a second dose for someone to become fully inoculated — 21 days after the first shot for the Pfizer vaccine and 28 days for the Moderna vaccine.
North Carolina is slated to receive 61,425 “first doses” of the Pfizer vaccine next week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as 60,500 first doses of the Moderna vaccine. That’s in addition to 85,800 “second doses” of the Pfizer vaccine, finishing the series of two shots for the people who received the vaccine during the first week.
The Pfizer vaccine has largely gone to hospitals that have ultra-cold freezers capable of storing it at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit or the ability to handle shipments packed in dry ice. By comparison, the Moderna vaccine can be stored in an average refrigerator.
Last week, local health departments started to receive doses of the vaccine, in addition to the doses sent to hospitals.
“Hospitals and local health departments will need to work together to continue vaccinating health care workers who meet the eligibility requirements for (the first phase),” Ellis wrote in an email.
This week, more than half of the state’s Moderna allocation — 34,900 doses — is headed to CVS and Walgreens, according to Ellis. The pharmacies will administer them at long-term care facilities as part of a partnership with the state.
North Carolina’s public health leaders have said it will likely be spring before a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available, according to The News & Observer
How many people have been vaccinated in the Triangle
So far, Triangle counties have received the most vaccine in the state, likely a result of the state vaccine plan’s prioritization of health care workers.
Wake County leads the state in people who have received their first vaccine dose, with 7,767, topping Mecklenburg’s 5,577 people who have had their first dose. Durham is third, with 5,450 vaccinations, while Orange County is fifth in the state with 3,043 as of 8 p.m. Monday.
On Dec. 22, a CDC advisory panel recommendation that frontline essential workers, such as firefighters, police officers, grocery store workers and teachers, as well as people ages 75 and older be moved higher in the vaccination rollout plan.
Wednesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he would adjust the state’s vaccination priorities to move up adults 75 and older and health care workers and frontline essential workers who are 50 years old or older.
The revised Phase 1B of North Carolina’s vaccination plan would start with anyone 75 years or older. That would be followed by essential workers and then healthcare workers and frontline essential workers of any age.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 6:15 AM.