Press release from Pardee UNC Health Care:
Pardee UNC Health Care is pleased to announce an increased supply of COVID-19 vaccinations and appointment availability. With a recent shipment of additional Pfizer vaccines, Pardee has increased appointment availability at their vaccine clinic on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College. Individuals age 16 and over are encouraged to book an appointment online via yourshot.org or by calling 828-694-8222.Pardee officials encourage those who are eligible – which is nearly anyone age 16 or older – to consider getting the vaccine and be a part of the effort to reach herd immunity. “We have so much to be optimistic about,” said David Ellis, MD, chief medical officer, Pardee UNC Health Care, “but we should also remain intently focused on getting our community fully vaccinated so that we can return to a sense of normalcy.” Dr. Ellis also echoes what the CDC and NC DHHS officials are saying about vaccines: “the best vaccine to get is the one that is currently available to you.”According to Dr. Chris Parsons, medical director for Pardee’s Center for Infectious Diseases, “there are two paths to reaching herd immunity with COVID-19: vaccines and infections.” Dr. Parsons notes that approximately 70% of the population would need to be immune to the coronavirus to achieve herd immunity. “With ongoing vaccination efforts combined with natural exposure to the virus, there is a chance of approaching this figure later in 2021. But this will depend on how many and how quickly people receive vaccines, and whether new variants emerge for which vaccinations are less effective. We have a greater chance of achieving herd immunity if more people are vaccinated more quickly.”Pardee UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953 and is managed by UNC Health Care. The hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, four urgent care locations and six orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit www.pardeehospital.org.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.