After busy first day, Bladen County opens COVID-19 vaccine hotline for appointments

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) — Bladen County is among the first in the Cape Fear area to move to Phase 1b, Group 1 on Wednesday.

Bladen County Health Department aimed to vaccinate at least 50 people on their first day serving the 75 and up population.

The county will aim to end each day on an even number because the Moderna vaccine comes in vials holding 10 doses. If anyone cancels or does not meet criteria when they arrive, they will refer to their waiting list.

Director of Health and Human Services Terri Duncan says beginning this phase now is promising as the county is in a critical phase of the virus.

“While we’re in a critical stage with some of our highest number of positive active cases and the highest number of hospitalizations and deaths in December, we are now able to vaccinate some of our most vulnerable population those are that greater than age 75,” Duncan said.

Duncan says this population is a special one.

“Some of them are greater than 90 years old and have lived through polio and measles, lost family members to both of those diseases, and vaccinations certainly helped us to control that,” Duncan said.

Newly vaccinated, Phyllis and Robert Latham have been married for 59 years. They aren’t greater than 90 years old, but they did live through those diseases and compare them now to COVID-19.

“We’ve lived through polio, when we were kids there were really bad measles, scarlet fever, it’s just one of those things that’s through the ages,” Phyllis Latham said. “This is just one for the 2020s.”

As a retired registered nurse, Phyllis was eager to get the vaccine, encouraging anyone who is hesitant to do the same.

“Anything that you can do to help yourself health-wise, do it. It’s been proven, it’s been tested. Just bite the bullet and do it,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do,” Robert added.

The couple agreed, receiving the vaccine was a painless experience.

“It was very easy, rapid, and did not hurt,” Phyllis Latham said. “Piece a cake!”

After a very busy day, Bladen County Health and Human Services have established a hotline for those needing to make appointments for their vaccine. Starting tomorrow, you can call 910-872-6291 from 9am to 4:30pm to make your appointment if you qualify for the vaccine under Phase 1a or Phase 1b, Group 1.