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Can’t make your vaccine appointment? Be sure to cancel ahead of time

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Novant Health is asking people who have vaccine appointments to make sure they cancel ahead of time if they can’t make.

According to Novant, at some events, 10% of people with appointments don’t show up for them and it’s hindering people who really need the shot from getting an appointment quickly.

North Carolina moves into vaccinations for Group 4 on Wednesday and the health system is pleading with the public to cancel their vaccine appointments if they no longer need them. They said canceling ahead of time will help a number of people from other groups who are still waiting to be vaccinated.

“We have 25,000 patients in Groups 1 and 2 that still are waiting for those appointments, so we are still reaching out to them to move them up into appointments available due to no shows,” said Nikki Nissen with Novant Health. “We don’t want people to feel left behind especially not our 65 and older.”

Need to schedule a vaccine appointment with Novant? Click here.

Local medical group pushes for more COVID-19 vaccine

Tryon Medical Partners CEO Dale Owen told Channel 9 his doctors are looking to be a part of the solution to get people vaccinated and end the pandemic.

Since it began, the medical group has been testing patients for COVID-19 and has helped run trials for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Owen said they are now working with the state to vaccinate patients, but doses allocated to them are only slowly coming in.

With 155,000 patients in their health system, Owen told us they’re able to vaccinate a large amount of people. He also said patients want to talk to their own doctors about the vaccine

“Physicians are the trusted source for patients to make a decision as to whether they will get this vaccine or not -- we can do a 1,000 or more,” he said.

Owen took his concerns to the Department of Health and Human Services and he said the state told him they’re working to get them more but it may take some time.

“I do believe we will get more allocation,” Owen said. “I think others will get more allocation. I think it will be soon, but they have to get many other sites proficient before they can start giving it to any particular area.”