Smithfield, NC Another wave of people are eligible for a COVID vaccine next Wednesday – including those with high-risk conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
Group 4 also includes those who are overweight and obese – a factor linked to more serious diseases with COVID.
Some provinces are already vaccinating the people or booking an appointment for them.
After Johnston county announced that it would include Group 4 on Friday afternoon in a first-come-first-served clinic for the first dose, and so many cars lined up at Johnston Community College on Friday that organizers announced they had reached their capacity before the scheduled start time from 14:00 to 14:00.
Durham county began planning appointments for those in Group 4 on Thursday and will begin vaccination on March 17, according to a news release.
People do not have to provide proof of a health condition to register.
Wake county Stacy Beard, spokeswoman, planned to open its online vaccination registration system to those in Group 4 affected by the governor’s decision on or before March 17.
“We were able to administer an average of more than 10,000 first doses per week, so we are optimistic about this progress by the eligible groups,” Beard said in an email to WRAL News, noting that people who have registered online to get a scheduled vaccination appointment on average within less than a week.
WRAL has compiled a list of specific health conditions that you are eligible for under Group 4.
For example, someone weighing 5’5 and 150 pounds would be considered overweight. Someone who weighs 5’10 and 175 pounds will also be considered overweight and qualify for a vaccine. If you are not sure if you are eligible for a vaccine based on your weight, look at a BMI calculator to see if you fall into the overweight or obese category.
Smokers are also included in Group 4. The term ‘smoker’ is defined as having smoked 100 cigarettes in your lifetime.
Some have expressed concern about the inclusion of smokers, but Holland said patients who have any form of lung damage may perform worse if they are diagnosed with COVID.
North Carolina is going to Group 4 a week earlier than planned. In Chatham County, more than 1,000 people pre-registered.
The director of health, Michael Zelek, said group 3 appointments were discussed. However, some counties, such as Johnston, Vance and Granville, have already been vaccinated with group 4.
WRAL has compiled a list and contact information for sites that administer COVID vaccines across the state.
One NC province opens appointments for Group 5
Onslow County is tentatively opening appointments for Group 5, but they do not get preference over anyone from Group 4. However, if they have extra doses, adults in Group 5 may be able to make an appointment.
People from Group 5 can call the hotline at 910-989-5027. They may appear on a list and when the slots open, they will call back. This is to ensure that their doses are not lost according to the guidelines.