Durham, NC With new daily COVID-19 cases in North Carolina near record highs, the process for rolling out vaccines is becoming more urgent.
But the promise of vaccines is moving more slowly in some countries than in others.
While some counties have started vaccinating people aged 75 and older, Durham is still in phase 1A, which has vaccinated health workers and those in long-term care facilities. Only one third of the vaccines were given.
Durham County received 3,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine, and as of Friday afternoon, they had administered 810. About 16% were transferred to other medical facilities.
This means that approximately 59% are still on the boards.
By comparison, Wake County has administered 2,479 of the 3900 doses and is starting Phase 1B next week. Nevertheless, Wake County is moving more slowly than other surrounding provinces.
The director of the Durham County Department of Health has yet to give another interview; However, this seems to be part of the reason for Durham’s slower pace, is their more measured, methodical approach.
During Durham’s latest Taskforce meeting for recovery and renewal, Health Director Rod Jenkins reported that many factors play into the current rate of vaccinations.
“We take our time to make sure we can move on to the next phase in a very safe and effective way,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said every vaccination takes time and care – including an examination, to keep room for social distance and to monitor each vaccinated person for a safe amount of time before sending him home.
“I have seen news reports from other provinces where our beloved elderly people are waiting in long lines, getting up at four o’clock and waiting for hours to get the vaccine due to the huge demand,” he said.
“We do not want to have cared for our most vulnerable citizens at random. We want to make sure we do it the right way,” he said.
Jenkins calls the pace a balance between scheduling, selecting, documenting and running the process – with one of the biggest concerns to ensure no vaccines are wasted.
The Department of Health has received doses of the Pfizer vaccine and will be administered this week.
There is still no time frame for when phase 1B starts in Durham; however, a scheduled media report table scheduled for Tuesday morning could provide more answers.
Although the county’s health department did not begin Phase 1B, Duke Health began accepting appointments.
If you need more information on accessing a COVID vaccine in your country, WRAL has compiled a country-by-country information reference guide.