Henderson County begins COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 and older

Press release from the Henderson County Department of Public Health: 

The Henderson County Department of Public Health has announced that vaccine providers can begin Phase 1b, Group 1 distribution this week, with registration open to all individuals 75 and older.

The Health Department today will open a call center number to make appointments for any individual 75 and older. The number to call is 828-585-4700.

A large volume of calls is anticipated as the call center goes live. Calling multiple times will not improve a person’s chances of getting scheduled but will have the reverse effect of slowing the process. This number will be used to make appointments for mass vaccination clinics managed by the Health Department at East Henderson High School.

There will be an extremely limited number of openings due to vaccine supply and patience from the community will be important. The Health Department estimates there are about 6,000 Henderson County residents 75 and older who do not reside in a long-term care facility. It will take several weeks to get this group vaccinated.

The amount of vaccine the Health Department can give is based on allotments from the state, which varies week-to-week. Due to this, the Health Department will only schedule initial appointments based on available vaccine supply. The call center will remain open until all available appointments are filled before switching over to a recorded message. Everyone will eventually have access to safe, effective COVID-19 vaccination.

The COVID-19 vaccine requires two separate doses spaced weeks apart. Before individuals can make their first appointment, they must confirm that they are able to make the second date. The second dose appointment will be officially scheduled at the time an individual receives their first dose.

Those who get an appointment will receive details about their date, time and location. There will be no walk-in appointments at a mass vaccination clinic or at the Health Department. Individuals who show up to a mass vaccination clinic without a scheduled appointment will be turned away.

Only those 75 and older in Phase 1b can be vaccinated at this time. Remaining Phase 1a individuals who wish to be vaccinated can contact the call center at 828-585-4700 for an appointment.

There is no cost to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, but those with insurance are asked to bring their cards to the appointment. Insurance will be billed to help cover the administration costs of the vaccine.

In addition to the Health Department call center, Pardee UNC Health Care will open its pre-registration system for its COVID-19 vaccination clinic. To pre-register for the Pardee clinic, please visit www.yourshot.org or call 828-694-8222 (694-VACC).

Additional community healthcare partners are positioning to contribute in the vaccination effort as supply becomes available. Until vaccine supply becomes more plentiful, practicing the 3 W’s (Wear, Wait and Wash) remains an incredibly effective tool for protecting people. Almost all of Henderson County’s cases are associated with settings where people dropped their guard with family members outside the household, co-workers, neighbors and friends.

For local COVID-19 vaccine information please visit https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/health/page/covid-19-vaccines. Those who secure an appointment will be asked to print and fill out a registration form available on the website for the clinic.