COVID-19 vaccine has landed

Good afternoon, all

Vaccine information is on the NCDHHS COVID-19 website: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines#resources.

As you may have heard, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA and has been recommended by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for people over 16 years of age. This is an exciting and historic event and marks the next phase in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the light at the end of the dark tunnel.  

Supplies of the vaccine will be very limited in the beginning. The phases of a risk-based prioritization have been determined based on guidance set forth by the National Academy of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and have been refined by the North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee. In the first phase, health care workers at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 and Long Term Care staff and residents will be prioritized for the vaccine. Week 1 shipments will go to 53 health care sites across the state. 

As we have more vaccines, we will be enrolling more providers and directing vaccines to more places. To be considered as a location for vaccine distribution, providers must enroll in the COVID-19 Vaccine Management System (CVMS): https://immunize.nc.gov/providers/covid-19training.htm. Direct questions about CVMS may be direct to CVMS-Help@dhhs.nc.gov. 

Information for providers and vaccine recipients about the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Emergency Use Authorization COVID-19 vaccine is available at these sites:

Vaccine information is on the NCDHHS COVID-19 website: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines#resources.

Thank you, 

Amaka Ofodile