County Prepares For Expansion To Group 3

Press release from Cumberland County:

Feb 11, 2021

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health is aware of the recent news from Gov. Cooper that teachers, childcare center employees, and school support staff will be eligible for vaccines starting Feb. 24. The department is booking first dose appointments through March 1 for people in Groups 1 and 2 (healthcare workers and individuals 65 and older) and is working to schedule appointment requests already received from those groups.

The County will publish information on when school and childcare employees may begin to request appointments soon.

The County offers COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Crown Expo Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The next drive-thru clinic for eligible individuals in Groups 1 and 2 (healthcare workers and anyone age 65 and older) is Friday, Feb. 12, at the Crown Expo Center (1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while supplies last. Appointment blocks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. have been filled. The standby lane will open at 3 p.m.

The Feb. 12 clinic will have first doses of Moderna and second doses of Pfizer and Moderna. Due to the supply, no first doses of Pfizer will be issued.

Anyone who has received their first dose at the Crown Expo Center on or before Jan. 26 should request an appointment online for their second dose or use the standby lane (first-come, first-served).

Individuals who received their first dose at the Crown Expo Center on or after Jan. 27 are automatically scheduled for their second dose and do not need to request an appointment.

Clinic Information
There are two options for receiving the first dose of the vaccine: request an appointment online or use the standby lane (first-come, first-served). Appointment blocks are available between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Individuals who are eligible and seeking their first dose can request an appointment online at the County’s vaccine webpage at co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19vaccine. Individuals will be notified via email or phone of the appointment confirmation. Depending on dose allocation, this could take several days.

The standby lane opens at 3 p.m., but it is possible to allow standby individuals to receive the vaccination based on no-show appointments. Approximate wait times are not available for the standby line, but individuals should come prepared to wait. Individuals not able to wait long periods of time should consider requesting an appointment.

“The Public Health vaccination team remains dedicated to streamlining the vaccination process for our residents,” said Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “We listen to feedback from patients and research best practices to put into place to become even more efficient.”

During the first public clinic on Jan. 8, the Health Department vaccinated 500 people. On Tuesday, 1,700 second doses were given in one day and on Wednesday, 1,336 first and second doses were given.

“We understand the process can be frustrating,” said Dr. Green. “Since the onset of this pandemic, one thing has remained constant—change. Information can change in a split second. Stay tuned to our website and social media pages for the most up-to-date information.”

Residents can visit co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19vaccine or those without access to the internet can call (910) 678-7657 during normal business hours to receive information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination Card Information
Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccination will receive a vaccination card from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). On the back of the card, a date is. This is not an appointment with the Cumberland County Public Health Department. Appointment confirmations will be received via email or phone.

This press release was produced by Cumberland County. The views expressed are the author's own.