Brunswick County transitions to Phase 1b for COVID-19 vaccinations Wednesday

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — People aged 75 years or older can schedule required appointments with Brunswick County Health Services for a COVID-19 vaccine beginning this Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m. as part of the health department’s transition to Phase 1b Group 1 of the state’s vaccination plan.

Under Phase 1b Group 1, anyone 75 years or older (regardless of medical condition or residency) who does not live in a congregate living facility is eligible to receive the free vaccine from Brunswick County Health Services.

Health Services only has about 100 appointments available as of Jan. 5 based on current vaccine supplies, so it is not possible to vaccinate everyone at once. If the county’s vaccines are already expended when you call, you are encouraged to call back another day or week as the county should receive more vaccines from the state weekly.

“While we only have a small number of vaccines available, we wanted to open up to Phase 1b Group 1 to start the process of vaccinating this group as soon as possible,” Health and Human Services Director David Stanley said. “We expect to receive more doses from the state next week. We stand ready to vaccinate more and partner with other providers to help vaccinate as more doses of vaccine are sent to our county.”

Those eligible and/or their representatives are strongly encouraged to follow these instructions to schedule an appointment beginning Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.:

• Call the Public Health Call Line at 910.253.2339 and select the option for vaccine information
• Listen to the prompt and then select the option to enter the queue to schedule an appointment (as vaccine supply allows)

The health department will only take calls to schedule appointments Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Requiring appointments under Phase 1b Group 1 will ensure the health department has a vaccine available for that person and keeps more vulnerable members of the population from waiting in lines.

Due to the increasingly high number of calls and emails it receives daily, Health Services will not schedule appointments for vaccines it has not yet received from the state nor can it provide call backs when more are available.

In addition to individuals under Phase 1b Group 1, Health Services will continue to vaccinate members of the population who are eligible under Phase 1a if they still require a vaccine.

Brunswick County Health Services has a limited number of vaccines on hand at any time. Future supplies depend on how many vaccines the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) sends to the county health department.

The NCDHHS also decides what type of vaccine (e.g., Moderna, Pfizer) the county receives. Individuals should receive the same type of vaccine for both doses.

Health Services is not aware of other health care providers in Brunswick County offering vaccinations as of Jan. 5. Individuals should check their provider’s communication channels for more information on their vaccination plans. Individuals can still request a vaccine from Health Services if they have a different health care provider.

The county health department does not have a set date to transition to Phase 1b Group 2. It will likely take several weeks to adequately vaccinate individuals under Phase 1b Group 1. Health Services will provide more information on when and how it plans to distribute vaccines to subsequent phases and groups when it prepares for each transition.

Find the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines in Brunswick County here.

*Residents (any age) at congregate living facilities already received or will receive their vaccine through the CDC’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program as part of Phase 1a.