As North Carolina moves to vaccinating elderly residents against COVID-19, the Orange County Health Department has released its initial plan for a local roll out.

Phase 1B in North Carolina means residents 75 and older are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Distribution of the shots will be broken up into three groups, as determined by the state government. The first group includes residents 75 and older, the second includes healthcare workers not vaccinated in Phase 1A and essential frontline workers over age 50, and the third includes healthcare workers not vaccinated in Phase 1A and frontline essential workers of any age. In this stage, there is no requirement to have certain qualifying chronic conditions.

In Orange County, residents who qualify in this first group, ages 75 and older, can visit the county’s website to fill out a Vaccine Interest Form to register for a vaccination. Once a resident’s information is in North Carolina’s COVID-19 Vaccine Management System, they will receive an email from the Orange County Health Department to schedule an appointment.

Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said in a release Thursday emphasized that the county has a limited supply of the vaccine at this time and emphasized only residents who qualify for the initial Phase 1B should immediately fill out the form.

“Due to limited availability of vaccine,” said Stewart, “Orange County may not be able to schedule appointments for everyone who is eligible right away. Please be patient as we work through this process.”

Thursday’s announcement did not share details about where vaccination sites in the county will be located for those who have registered and gotten appointments. In a conversation with 97.9 The Hill, Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Renee Price said the county is considering partnering with the local senior centers.

“We’re working with the Seymour Center and Passmore Center to engage their assistance,” she said. “A lot of people in the county that are 75 and older are familiar with those centers and would probably feel comfortable going there, or at least know how to get there.”

Earlier this week, Governor Roy Cooper deployed the National Guard to further assist with the distribution efforts. He said vaccinating at-risk individuals across the state “is our top priority right now.”

“As we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are also helping local hospitals and health departments to support their vaccine efforts. Getting the vaccine out quickly is the most urgent priority right now, and we will use everything and everyone needed to get the job done,” Cooper said.

Since initial COVID-19 vaccinations began on December 15, the Orange County Health Department has administered the vaccine to more than 1,000 eligible Phase 1A personnel through drive-through clinics in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. The Centers for Disease Control defines frontline essential workers as first responders (firefighters, police officers, etc.), corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the education sector (teachers, support staff members, etc.) as well as child care workers.

Here’s how to sign up for the vaccine

If you are 75 and older, a link for the Vaccine Interest Form can be found at: https://redcap.link/OCHDvax. Call 919-913-8088 if you do not have access to a computer or would like help filling out the form. This phone number can also be used for residents who prefer to fill out the form in a language other than English.

Once you fill out the form, you will receive an email with a link to an online registration to enter your data into the COVID-19 Vaccine Management System run by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

When you are eligible to receive the vaccine, you will receive another email from the Orange County Health Department to schedule an appointment.

More information about Orange County’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution can be found on the county’s website.

Featured image via Travis Long/News & Observer

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