Alexander to receive 300 vaccine doses each week
Above, resident Ronald Rose receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine at the Alexander County Health Department. (Alexander County Govt. photo)
Health Dept. to receive 300 doses of Moderna vaccine each week for next three weeks
On Friday, January 29, 2021, it was announced the Alexander County Health Department is scheduled to receive 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine each week for the next three weeks. There are approximately 3,500 people (age 65+ or in health care) who have submitted their contact information to be scheduled for an appointment, so citizens are encouraged to be patient as vaccine supply remains limited.
Staff has already started contacting those ages 75+ and health care employees who are on the waiting list to receive the vaccine next week. They will then contact those ages 65-74 who are on the waiting list in the order in which their information was received.
The health department continues to administer the second dose of the vaccine as scheduled to those who have already received the first dose. Second doses are NOT affected by the recent vaccine shortage. If you are scheduled to receive your second dose, please keep your appointment to ensure the vaccine’s effectiveness.
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the health department has administered 2,575 first doses and 430 second doses for a total of 3,005 vaccinations.
If you have called and left your contact information on the hotline (828-352-7724) or submitted your information via the online form (www.alexandercountync.gov/covid), there is no need to submit your contact information again. If you are in Group 1 (health care) or Group 2 (ages 65+) and have not submitted your information, please do so to ensure that you get the vaccine.
The health department is also accepting candidates for its “quick-response list” for those who can arrive in 15 minutes or less to be vaccinated at the end of the day to avoid wasting any vaccine. If interested, call the hotline or complete the online form.
As the state’s distribution plan progresses, three local pharmacies will also be providing vaccinations: Walmart Pharmacy, Office Practice of Pharmacy, Peoples Drug, and Town & Country Drugs. Currently, no timeline has been provided by the state as to when these pharmacies will receive the vaccine.
COVID-19 Update
According to information received by the health department, there are currently 13 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Sadly, there have been 65 deaths associated with the virus which is an increase of four deaths since January 22. According to NCDHHS, Alexander County has a cumulative total of 3,455 confirmed COVID-19 cases, which includes 301 cases in the past 14 days and 139 cases in the past seven days.
Alexander County remains a “red” county for critical community spread in the state’s County Alert System. As of January 28, Alexander County’s COVID-19 positive rate has declined to 9.9 percent while the state rate declined to 7.9 percent.
