Last Updated on December 18, 2020 5:56 pm
*Press Release from AppHealthCare*
This week we were notified we will likely receive our first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine early next week.
We are anticipating receiving the Moderna vaccine for each of the counties we serve – 100 doses for Alleghany, 300 doses for Ashe and 600 doses for Watauga. Our local hospitals will likely also be receiving some vaccine supply next week and will use their supply to vaccinate hospital staff who qualify in the first phase of rollout.
The COVID-19 vaccine will be rolling out in phases and will be given to those who are most at risk first. The first doses of vaccine will go to frontline healthcare workers who are at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure and those who are working and living in long term care facilities and group homes. Supplies will be limited at first but will increase throughout 2021.
“We are anticipating the arrival of our first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine early next week and are very hopeful and confident in the vaccine’s ability to help slow the spread of this virus which has impacted all of us in so many ways this year. We are working closely with local and state partners as we prepare to offer the vaccine to those who are eligible in this first phase. Even though we are hopeful about the vaccine, we must continue to practice prevention measures like the 3Ws and wear a face covering, wash your hands and wait 6 feet from others. These prevention measures will help slow the spread and protect local hospital capacity,” stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director, AppHealthCare.
We will be partnering with our hospitals across our district and will be following the NC DHHS guidelines as we determine who is eligible for the vaccine in each phase. At first, we are prioritizing long term care facility staff and residents and healthcare providers who qualify for Phase 1a since they are at highest risk. There are a number of long term care facilities who have already signed up and registered with a national partnership with CVS and Walgreens Pharmacy so their organizations will be vaccinated through that program. We will be responsible for vaccinating those long term care facilities who were not able to sign up with the national program.
Our plan will have to be flexible since it depends on us receiving the vaccine next week. We are communicating directly with those who are eligible for Phase 1a vaccine and are planning to begin our process of offering a vaccine to this group early next week, which depends on when our shipment arrives. Due to prioritizing the vaccine distribution, we will only be offering COVID-19 testing on Monday, December 21st of next week.
We are working to add information on our website for people who will qualify for Phase 1b.
Additional Resources
Visit the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services website for more information about the vaccine including the COVID-19 vaccination plan and frequently asked questions.
For more information related to COVID-19, including local data, visit AppHealthCare’s website here.
Our COVID-19 call center is available to take COVID-19 related calls each day at (828) 795-1970 and you can also email questions to preparedness@apphealth.com.
AppHealthCare is available and on-call 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. To reach us, call Watauga (828) 264-4995, Ashe (336) 246-9449, Alleghany (336) 372-5641 anytime and follow the prompts. For more information, visit www.AppHealthCare.com and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
