Vaccinated

This week, Macon County residents will have more access to COVID-19 vaccines than before thanks to an additional vaccine shipment.

On April 8 and April 12, Macon County Public Health will give out 700 doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in addition to the 600 doses of the Moderna vaccine that they receive every week. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be offered in special evening clinics for patients who can’t  get their shot during the day. There are a few minor differences between the two brands, most notably that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is delivered in one dose while the Moderna vaccine requires two, but the health department says that both vaccines are effective and that residents shouldn’t try too hard to get one or the other.

“The best vaccine to receive is the first one that you are offered,” Macon County Public Health public information officer Emily Ritter said. “Each vaccine currently available in the United States is shown to be effective at preventing severe COVID-19 infections, which lead to hospitalization and potentially death. The sooner more are vaccinated, the quicker we will begin to return to a sense of normalcy.”

The effort to vaccinate as many people as possible has ramped up all over the country in recent weeks. As more supply has become available and more adults have expressed a willingness to get the shot, governments and community organizations have explored new ways to increase the rate of vaccination. In North Carolina, the Healthier Together partnership is providing grants to community organizations all around the state to increase outreach and education among populations with lower vaccination rates so that vaccines can reach as much of the state as possible.

“Healthier Together is another embodiment of our commitment to equity,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. “It brings together the expertise and relationships of trusted community-based organizations with the policy tools and resources of state government to create a new partnership model to address vaccine equity.”

Macon County health director Kathy McGaha says that her department has come a long way since the vaccine rollout began in December. At first, there was so much demand for vaccines and so few people to give them that the department had to change phone systems just to cope with the influx of calls, but now it’s possible to call for an appointment and get a shot within a matter of hours on the right day. A full community buy-in on vaccinations is still the best way to bring the stresses of the pandemic to an end, so McGaha encourages all Macon County adults to get in contact with the health department as soon as possible and register for their shot.

“MCPH has worked to exhaust the waitlist that at one point had over 6,000 individuals waiting to be vaccinated,” McGaha said. “We now have appointments readily available for those wanting to be vaccinated.”

To register for a COVID-19 vaccination and to schedule an appointment, call Macon County’s vaccine call center at 828-524-1500. The call center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be offered from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 and Monday, April 12. The Moderna vaccine will be administered at all other clinics for the week.