North Carolina is expanding the coronavirus vaccine eligibility. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced the new eligibility requirements at a media briefing on Thursday.
Vaccine providers that are prepared can now begin inoculating all healthcare workers as well as those ages 65 and up. This follows new vaccination guidelines issued by the federal government.
In an effort to clear up any misinformation, Dr. Cohen went through some of the vaccine facts:
- There are currently only 2 COVID vaccines
- There are no serious safety concerns from receiving the vaccine
- You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine
- You won’t be fully immune from COVID-19 until approximately two weeks after receiving the second vaccine shot
As of Thursday’s press conference, Dr. Cohen says providers have given 326,198 vaccinations in the state.
Cohen also urged North Carolinians to continue following the Secretarial Directive: Stay home except for essential activities and wear a mask anytime you’re around those that do not also live in your home.
As of Thursday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says there have been 650,926 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the state since the start of the pandemic. 7,825 of those cases resulted in death.
