Vaccine pre-registration now open for residents ages 75+

Haywood -- Haywood County Health Department: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 5, 2020

Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2020,  Haywood County residents over the age of 75, who have not already been included in a previous vaccination group, may begin pre-registering for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. 

As Haywood County prepares to move into the next phases of vaccine distribution, we are asking for residents to pre-register in order that we can develop a list of those interested in being contacted when vaccines are available.

Initially, there will not be enough vaccine doses available to vaccinate everyone who will want to be, but this list will provide a starting point to begin scheduling as vaccines arrive.

Residents over the age of 75 can pre-registering in the following ways:

Online at: https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/vaccine

OR

By phone via the COVID-19 hotline at: 828-356-2019, between the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

This registry system is NOT for people in long-term care facilities or who work in healthcare and have already been contacted about vaccination. 

Long-term care residents and staff, including residents age 75 and older, are in the state’s Phase 1A and are currently receiving vaccinations through a federal vaccination partnership with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies. People living and working in these facilities are being contacted by facility administrators to schedule their appointments.

Haywood County Public Health and local hospitals are continuing to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals identified in Phase 1A of the state’s rollout plan. This priority group includes frontline health care workers at most risk of direct exposure to COVID-19. People in this group who are eligible to receive the vaccine are being contacted by their employers to schedule their appointments.

There is no cost to the patient when receiving the COVID-19 vaccine through Public Health. Appointments are only for Haywood County residents.

The COVID-19 vaccine requires two shots that are spaced several weeks apart, those who pre-register will be contacted to schedule the initial appointment and an appointment for a person’s second vaccination will be scheduled when they receive their first shot. 

Because the COVID-19 vaccine is currently available in limited supplies, the state’s rollout plan prioritizes vaccination for people who are at the highest risk of exposure or severe complications. As more vaccine is produced, the state’s plan will include more residents and involve more vaccination providers in phases.

As the plan progresses, Haywood County Public Health and other local vaccine providers will share information about when residents identified in each phase will be eligible to make appointments for vaccination and how those appointments can be made. Eventually, as more vaccine becomes available, everyone in Haywood County will have an opportunity to get vaccinated.

“We urge everyone to consider getting vaccinated against COVID-19 when it is their turn. The vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective and they are our best path forward to ending this pandemic and returning to a time when we can all enjoy being together again safely,” said Interim Health Director Garron Bradish.

For more information on vaccine prioritization plans: https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/vaccines/NCDHHS-Vaccine-Infographic.pdf

Key Points about the COVID-19 vaccine:

The vaccine is tested, safe, and effective
You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine
There will be limited availability at first and more widely available over time.
The vaccine will be provided free of charge to everyone that wants it.
Two doses are needed for maximum immunity.
There is no vaccine mandate.
Continuing the 3Ws will be critical until the vaccine is widely taken