The Orange County Health Department shared its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for residents on Friday, a phased rollout of the drug mirroring that of North Carolina’s health department.

With the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine earning approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration Friday, North Carolina is expected to receive thousands of initial doses. Vaccination, however, will not be immediately available to all people, with Orange County saying it will prioritize health care workers who face regular, high risk of exposure to the virus.

“A tested, safe and effective vaccine will be available to all who want it, but supplies will be limited at first,” Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said in Friday’s release. “Although the vaccines were developed quickly, they were built upon years of work in developing vaccines for similar viruses.”

The decision to vaccinate health care workers initially comes from recommendations from independent state and federal public health advisory committees, which both the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and Orange County Health are following. Such health care workers, like doctors, nurses and those who care for coronavirus-infected patients, will be in Phase 1A of distribution.

Phase 1B, of a similar priority, will be residents with two or more chronic health conditions that put them at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and essential frontline workers who face high risk of exposure. The Centers for Disease Control list adults with conditions like cancer, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes and serious heart conditions as fitting this priority scale. Essential workers like police, teachers and health care workers not in Phase 1A will also be able to receive the vaccine during this distribution stage.

Other Orange County residents and North Carolinians will become prioritized following this initial phase, depending on the manufacturing of more COVID-19 vaccine doses. Phase 2 will focus on adults at high risk for exposure to the coronavirus, like essential workers who did not qualify in Phase 1, and adults 65 and older. Phase 3 will be students and critical industry workers. Those in the final stage of distribution, Phase 4, will be anyone who wants a vaccination but did not qualify for the previous phases.

Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners Renee Price shared a message of encouragement to county residents on Friday, saying following this distribution plan will help return the community to a new normal.

“Public health and our economy are inseparable,” said Price. “When all of us come together to take the vaccine, we can end this pandemic, and this will lead to a faster economic recovery.”

More information on the NCDHHS vaccine distribution plan can be found on the department’s website. More details on Orange County’s response to COVID-19 can be found on the county government’s website.

 

Photo via University of Oxford/John Cairns and the Associated Press.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
State Gives $35 Million to Local Health Departments for COVID-19 Response
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $35 million in federal funding to local health departments across the state to support their COVID-19 responses. The announced was shared in a release from Governor Roy Cooper’s office on Tuesday, saying each county would receive at least $90,000 with  additional funding determined by population size […]
Orange County Ends COVID-19 Testing Services After Nearly 3 Years
After nearly three years of offering PCR tests for COVID-19, the Orange County Health Department has officially halted its testing services.
North Carolina Moves To Limit Out-of-State Access To Vaccine
North Carolina is shifting its vaccine distribution guidance to dissuade people from traveling long distances to receive a COVID-19 shot in the state. Under updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarifying travel policies, North Carolina has enacted stricter vaccination policies to improve North Carolinians’ access to the vaccine. “To promote the […]
Health Officials Say It Is 'Unlikely' Group 3 Will Be Vaccinated Immediately
With the current, limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine, teachers and school personnel may have to wait to be vaccinated despite becoming eligible on February 24.
Coronavirus Deaths in Orange County Nursing Homes Reach 40
Two Orange County nursing homes have a combined 40 deaths among residents after combating COVID-19 for nearly two months. Reports from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday showed the death count for PruittHealth- Carolina Point and Signature HealthCARE in Orange County to be 20 each. The number of positive cases […]
Mental Health, Infant Mortality and Environmental Racism: Takeaways From Orange County's Health Assessment Data
Every four years, the Orange County Health Department embarks on an intensive effort to gather wide-ranging, local health information in its Community Health Assessment, which happened in 2023. One month ago, the health department shared those results and data with residents. The health department published its public copies of the 2023 assessment after surveys, focus […]
Orange County Adjusts, Scales Back COVID Testing Schedule
The Orange County Health Department announced its new hours of operation for drive-thru and walk-in COVID-19 testing in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. The updated hours went into effect at the beginning of August. The health department continues to scale back its offerings as at-home COVID-19 tests become more and more available. Instead of being offered […]
Orange County: Abortion Rights, COVID Vaccines and July 4th Safety
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Renée Price speaks with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, June 29. She shares her reaction to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and perspective on the right to abortions being turned over to state governments. Plus, Price shares details on the county's COVID-19 vaccine rollout for infants and some key advice before the long weekend!
Chatham County Begins N95 Mask Distribution; Orange County Prepares for More
Those seeking N95 masks for better mitigation of COVID-19’s spread can now receive a pack for free at several locations in Chatham County. The county health department shared a release Thursday saying it is making several thousand masks available to the public at the three branches of the Chatham County Public Libraries. Each household can […]
All Three COVID-19 Booster Vaccines Now Available in Orange County
Orange County announced they now have COVID-19 booster vaccine shots available now for all who qualify.
›