On Thursday, North Carolina health officials revealed that they are changing their vaccine distribution plans to mirror guidance from the federal government. The phases for which people will be eligible to get their shots have now been changed to five “groups,” instead of the previous three phases with prioritized groups in each.

Group 1 includes health care workers and long-term care staff and residents. Group 2 includes older adults age 65 years or older – regardless of health status or living situation. Group 3 includes frontline essential workers – described as those who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society. Group 4 includes adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness – such as transportation, media, legal and public safety officials. Finally, Group 5 includes anyone and everyone who wants a vaccine.

This new distribution criteria puts people age 65 and older ahead of other front-line essential workers, such as firefighters and teachers. Under the old plan, the next groups to qualify for vaccination after people 75 and older would have been front-line health care workers and essential workers age 50 and older, followed by front-line health and essential workers of any age.

The change in vaccine rollout comes as the federal Department of Health and Human Services makes a big push to improve vaccination across the country.

Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said if North Carolina does not roll out the vaccine fast enough, the federal government will decrease the state’s vaccine allocation.

“I think at the local level the state has given us some additional allowance to divert some of our programs and services and really focus on vaccination,” Stewart said. “Without penalty we can put aside some of our other programs and pull those staff in to help us with the vaccination process.”

The change in federal guidance caught state officials off guard on Tuesday. Governor Roy Cooper said the federal government has been continuously changing its recommendations, making it hard for the state to keep up.

“One of the continuing problems that we have had with the federal government is that they have continued to shift their advice on what the priorities for the vaccine should be,” Cooper said. “We all know that there are severely limited amounts of vaccines and we have seen several iterations of their recommendations to the state.”

This week, UNC Health opened more than a dozen clinics across North Carolina to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Most of the appointment-only sites, including the largest one at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill, opened Monday. Each site began administering vaccines to people that were eligible under the former Phase 1B, Group 1 distribution plan – which included anyone 75 years and older.

Since initial distribution began last month, UNC Health has administered nearly 30,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including more than 6,000 second doses to Phase 1A frontline healthcare workers.

For more information on North Carolina’s new vaccination plan, click here.

 

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