Brunswick County COVID-19 Snapshot Update: Vaccine Appointments Scheduled for the Second Week of February Still on as Scheduled but Supply Remains Low (FEB. 5, 2021)

By City of Northwest | February 8, 2021

KEY POINTS

  • Brunswick County Health Services, Novant Health, and Dosher Memorial Hospital will receive a combined minimum (baseline) allocation of 1,275 doses next week (Feb. 8-12)
  • Vaccine supplies are considered sufficient to cover all first dose appointments scheduled in the second week of February at the mass vaccination clinic in part due to voluntary cancellations from individuals traveling to other jurisdictions to get vaccinated sooner
  • Some appointments in the third week of February may still be rescheduled to a later date; in the event an appointment needs to be rescheduled, the individual will receive direct communication over the phone

MEDIA RELEASE

BOLIVIA, N.C. – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced that Brunswick County Health Services, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center and Dosher Memorial Hospital will receive a combined allocation of 1,275 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the second week of February (Feb. 8-12). This number is the minimum (baseline) allocation NCDHHS has guaranteed these three providers will receive for the next two weeks.

At this time, Health Services and its partners do not anticipate rescheduling any first dose appointments currently set for Feb. 8-12 to a later date.

The ability to maintain first dose appointments in the second week was partly due to eligible individuals voluntarily canceling their appointments during the first two weeks of February after traveling to other jurisdictions to receive a vaccination sooner.

“While we are glad that the coming week is unaffected, it just goes to show that 1,275 doses is not enough to realistically meet the demand in a county where one out of every three people is eligible for a vaccine,” Brunswick County Chairman Randy Thompson said. “We continue to worry about our elderly and lower income populations who rely on a local option to get their shot.”

Any decisions concerning the potential rescheduling of first dose appointments during the third week of February (Feb. 15-19) will be determined based on future allocations the NCDHHS sends to county vaccine providers.

All appointments for second doses are unaffected as supplies for these doses are already accounted for and are shipped to vaccine providers when needed.

Your best protection from COVID-19 will be a combination of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask, staying at least six feet away from others, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands often. Remember to still practice the Three Ws—wear, wait and wash—even if you already received your vaccination.

Individuals now eligible for vaccinations are those who fall under Group 1 (health care workers) or Group 2 (anyone 65 or older regardless of health status or living situation).

Community members ages 65 and older and health care workers in the Brunswick County area can schedule their COVID-19 vaccination by visiting NovantHealth.org/BrunswickVaccine.

Vaccine supplies remain exceptionally low. If appointments slots are not available when you search, you are encouraged to check again later. Future appointment dates are added on a weekly basis based on current allocation numbers the NCDHHS is sending to the three partners.

WORRIED ABOUT YOUR APPOINTMENT? HERE’S WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND.
  • As of Feb. 5, there is no official decision to reschedule any appointments. Any decisions involving the rescheduling of appointments will be communicated as we receive more information from the state about our allocations.
  • In the event your appointment needs to be rescheduled, you will receive direct communication over the phone. Someone from Novant Health, Dosher Memorial Hospital, or Brunswick County Health Services will call you to help you schedule a new appointment.
  • Wait for the call. While our Public Health Call Line team members are exceptionally helpful, they do not have information to tell you whether your appointment needs to be rescheduled. Wait for the direct call from us to tell you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. This will save you from waiting on the phone to speak with someone.
  • If your appointment is several weeks or months away, stay calm and remain patient. There are no details at this time about how much vaccine the county will receive beyond the third week of February. Just because some appointments might be rescheduled now does not mean it will affect your appointment time in the future.

Find the latest information and updates about vaccines at brunswickcountync.gov/vaccines

KEY STATISTICS

Brunswick County is in the Critical/Red Tier on the North Carolina COVID-19 County Alert System, the highest tier possible. Of the state’s 100 counties, 94 are considered to have substantial or critical spread. The data below is from the NCDHHS dashboard.

  • Vaccinations: As of Feb. 3, 14,817 first doses and 2,339 second doses have been administered in Brunswick County.
  • Case Counts: As of Feb. 5, 6,862 county residents have received a positive test result for COVID-19. To date, 103 residents have died. 
  • Testing: As of 5, about 10.3% of tests conducted in Brunswick County are yielding positive results.

More information about the virus, testing, and vaccines are on the Health Services COVID-19 webpage.

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