In North Carolina, people 65 years of age or older, health care workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities and frontline workers are in close contact with the public to get a vaccine.
Groups 1-3 are eligible from 3 March. Group 4 – people with underlying health conditions – can already be vaccinated on March 24 and a date for Group 5 – the general public – has yet to be determined.
Important links: Country-by-Country Vaccine Information | Quiz: Find your vaccine group | Find a COVID-19 test site near you | Coronavirus NC Maps and Data Full Pandemic Coverage
Groups 3 and 4 together include millions of North Carolinians. Here is a list of who falls under each group.
Group 3: essential workers at the front
Education and child care
- Teachers, teaching assistants and student teachers
- School owners, directors and supervisors
- Bus and minibus drivers
- Family support staff
- Food service workers
- Classroom support and administrative staff
- Conservation and maintenance personnel
- Therapists and medical staff
- On-site consultants required
- Media and IT specialists
- School security staff
- Librarians
- School administrative staff
- Teaching Support Staff
- School nurses (eligible in group 1)
Food and agriculture
All workers in stores selling groceries and medicines, including:
- Meat packaging workers
- Food processors
- Farm workers
- Migrant farm / fishing workers
- Food distribution and supply chain workers
- Restaurant workers
Manufacture
- Workers manufacturing medical supplies, medical equipment or PBT
- Workers manufacturing products needed for food and agricultural supply chains
University / college
- College and university instructors and support staff
Community and government
- US Postal Service and other dispatched workers
- Court workers
- Elected officials
- Clergy
- Homeless shelter staff
- Veterinarians, veterinary staff and veterinary students
Healthcare and public health
- Public health workers
- Social workers
First responders and public safety
- Firefighters and EMS
- Law enforcement
- Correction workers
- Security officers
- Public Agency Workers Respond to Abuse and Neglect
Transport
- Public transport workers
- Motor Vehicle Workers Division
- Transportation maintenance and repair technicians
- Workers supporting highway infrastructure
Group 4: Adults with a high risk of exposure and increased risk of serious diseases
- Asthma (moderate to severe)
- Cancer
- Cerebrovascular disease or history of stroke
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Dementia or other neurological condition
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes
- Down syndrome
- A heart condition such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Immuno-compromised state (weakened immune system) of: immune deficiency, HIV, intake of chronic steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs, history of solid organ blood or bone marrow transplantation
- Liver disease, including hepatitis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Overweight or obesity
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease (not sickle cell trait) or thalassemia
- Smoking (current or former, defined as having smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime)
- People experiencing homelessness or living in a homeless shelter
- Correctional facility, such as imprisonment or imprisonment