Meck County vaccination appointments filled through first 3 weeks of February

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH) announced earlier this week that it was opening additional appointments for the first three weeks of February for Groups 1 and 2 based on anticipated vaccine supply.

Appointments were made available for scheduling beginning Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. but by early that afternoon, county officials said all appointments had been booked.

Earlier this month, MCPH updated its vaccination plan to align with new federal and state recommendations (as recommended by current guidelines).

Because vaccine supplies are currently limited, the vaccine distribution is being rolled out in phases.

• Group 1 includes healthcare workers with current in-person patient contact and long-term care staff and residents.
• Group 2 includes anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation.

MCPH opened February appointments for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for Groups 1 and 2 based on the anticipated vaccine supply.

Health officials on Thursday morning were reporting that call volume to make an appointment was high and issued the following statement:

As anticipated, Public Health is experiencing a high volume of calls to the appointment hotline and traffic to the appointment website this morning. We are excited and encouraged by the interest and response from our residents in Groups 1 and 2 (healthcare workers and individuals 65+) to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

If calling the hotline to make an appointment, please be patient and leave a message if prompted. Calls are being returned throughout the day. If using the website appointment system, it is moving slower than usual due to the high volume of traffic to the website. Please be patient and continue to follow the steps to book an appointment.

Once these appointment times are full, scheduling will be suspended. We will notify the public as more vaccine and appointments become available. The appointment scheduling process will be the same.

As a reminder, individuals 65+ can also reach out to their primary health care provider regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Shortly after 1 p.m. on Thursday, county officials said all vaccination appointments through the first three weeks of February had been filled.

“As vaccine supply increases, we will add additional appointments and notify residents when they become available. The appointment scheduling process will be the same.

How to make an appointment

You can find instructions for making appointments here.

Eligible Group 1 and 2 members may make a first dose appointment online here.

Phone appointments may be made by calling 980-314-9400 and selecting Option 3. If you leave a message MCPH will try to return the call within 24-48 business hours. If you can’t secure an appointment right away, you are encouraged to continue to check for updates.

[READ: Mecklenburg County’s vaccine information page]

As more vaccines are made available, more appointment times will be made available. Updates will continue to be made here.

Public health officials want to encourage people 65 or older to reach out to their primary care providers to discuss options for receiving the vaccine. Atrium Health and Novant Health are offering vaccines to eligible patients in Groups 1 and 2 by appointment.

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MCPH COVID-19 Vaccine clinics are being held at Bojangles Coliseum (2700 East Independence Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28205). Appointments are required for all eligible recipients.

Mecklenburg County residents who need help with transportation to vaccine appointments should call the Mecklenburg Transportation System at 980-314-7600.

More information about the COVID-19 vaccine is available here or by calling the Public Health COVID-19 hotline at 980-314-9400.

On Thursday, the Novant Health vaccination hotline’s automated message says: “At this time, all appointments have been filled. Please know we continue to add appointments each week.”

Novant getting thousands of COVID vaccine calls each day; supply 'limited'

Cox Media Group