Written by BRYAN ANDERSON

For the first time since COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, North Carolina this week declined to accept any more supplies.

Instead, this week’s requests from North Carolina providers are being fulfilled through transfers from other providers or through requests to local health departments, according to state health officials.

“We are currently focusing on prioritizing the in-state inventory of vaccine by using a first-in, first-out strategy so that providers use vaccines by date of expiration in chronological order, as well as transferring vaccine between providers who can use them,” the state Department of Health and Human Services said in an emailed statement on Friday.

The move comes as North Carolina nears an announcement on additional financial incentives to boost vaccine participation amid a sizable drop in vaccine demand over the last two months.

North Carolina returned more than 1.2 million doses to the federal government as of Friday. Nearly all states have contributed to the federal pool, according to the state Health Department.

Data the department released Friday shows a surplus of nearly 2.4 million COVID-19 vaccines waiting for residents to take. The state has also turned down nearly 2.4 million additional shots from its federal allocation.

North Carolina on Friday crossed the threshold of most adult residents being fully vaccinated. Thirty-nine percent of the state’s overall population of 10.5 million people and 46% of eligible vaccine recipients 12 years of age or older are now fully vaccinated. Nearly four in five North Carolinians who are at least 65 years old have completed their vaccine cycle.

But the state’s administration numbers lag behind much of the country.

North Carolina is the 14th worst state in COVD-19 vaccine doses administered per capita, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s top public health official, told a news conference Wednesday that three groups remain unvaccinated: those who are eager to get vaccinated but haven’t found the time to do it, those who have unanswered questions but would be more receptive to a shot if it were accessible at their doctor’s office and those with no plans to get a vaccine.

“We’re just going to keep at this,” Cohen said.

 

Photo via Woody Marshall/News & Record and the Associated Press.

 

Related Stories
‹
North Carolina’s $25 Reward Helped Boost COVID Vaccinations
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON What works and what doesn’t when it comes to encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19? A new study in North Carolina shows that offering $25 to people getting their first shot was an important factor, while long odds at a big lottery prize made little difference. The study released on […]
Medically At-Risk North Carolinians Can Get Third COVID Shot
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina health officials said Monday that medically vulnerable residents with certain health conditions can get an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine, though some have already had a third Pfizer or Moderna shot after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it last week. The FDA signed off on the additional dose after […]
North Carolina’s $100 Reward Offer Ignites Vaccine Interest
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON Interest in COVID-19 vaccines has surged in the week since North Carolina’s governor announced that his administration would boost the financial incentive from $25 to $100 for unvaccinated residents who come in for their first shot this month. While a number of factors are contributing to people’s decision to get vaccinated, […]
Bill Going to Cooper Requires Parents to OK Kid’s COVID Shot
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON A bill requiring minors to get approval from their parents before receiving a COVID-19 shot in North Carolina was sent to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday. The measure, which cleared the state Senate unanimously earlier this week, passed on Thursday with support from all but five House Democrats. Americans who […]
NC Senate OKs Parental Consent for Children’s Virus Vaccine
Young people would need parental permission now before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina legislation approved unanimously Tuesday by the state Senate. The bill, which now must return to the House for consideration, contains a parent or guardian requirement for vaccines approved by federal regulators for emergency use, such as the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. It’s currently […]
More North Carolinians Getting COVID Shot Amid Delta Variant
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON More North Carolinians came in for a COVID-19 vaccine last week than on any given week over the past two months, according to data state health officials released Tuesday. More than 74,000 people were vaccinated for the first time, an encouraging sign that residents are increasingly taking seriously threats posed by […]
North Carolina Requiring State Health Workers To Get Vaccine
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina’s health department will require workers, volunteers and others at 14 state-run health care facilities to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Sept. 30 unless they qualify for a medical or religious exemption, according to a memo. The Associated Press obtained a departmental FAQ about the vaccine mandate that says those […]
COVID-19 Surging as North Carolina Set To Ease Restrictions
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON The number of North Carolinians in the hospital due to COVID-19 has doubled in the last two weeks, the 14-day rolling average of new daily cases has increased by nearly 200% and the share of tests coming back positive is at its highest level in more than five months. The latest […]
North Carolina Announces First COVID Vaccine Lottery Winners
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina on Monday announced its first COVID-19 vaccine lottery winners of a $1 million cash prize and $125,000 college scholarship. Winston-Salem resident and teacher Shelly Wyramon won the $1 million prize before taxes, while 14-year-old Vania Martinez won the $125,000 scholarship. The state will pick the remaining three cash and […]
North Carolina Accepts No New COVID-19 Vaccines This Week
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON For the first time since COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, North Carolina this week declined to accept any more supplies. Instead, this week’s requests from North Carolina providers are being fulfilled through transfers from other providers or through requests to local health departments, according to state health officials. “We […]
›