Novant doctor expects COVID vaccine widely available in Charlotte in early 2021
One day after the arrival of coronavirus vaccines in Charlotte, local hospital leaders say North Carolina could see “widespread immunization” in early 2021.
The state Department of Health and Human Services has released a vaccination plan that outlines four phases of vaccine prioritization, with front-line health care workers going first, followed by other medical staff and residents of long-term care facilities.
The general public may be able to receive vaccinations in the first or second quarter of 2021, said Dr. David Priest, infectious disease expert with Novant Health. Priest’s comments came during a call with news reporters Tuesday morning.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the DHHS secretary, said the pace of vaccinations is dependent on how quickly doses are manufactured and administered, and if additional vaccines, beyond Pfizer and Moderna, receive emergency use authorizations.
And how many people are willing to be inoculated remains an open question, Cohen said. (A recent survey found only 40% of North Carolinians would get vaccinated, hinting at mistrust that could undermine public health efforts to bring the pandemic to a close.)
“My best estimate at this point is to say it’s going to be well into the spring before I believe that vaccine is going to be widely available to folks,” Cohen said during a news conference Tuesday. “That why we continue to emphasize wearing masks, waiting six feet apart and washing hands ... It’s going to take some time for that vaccine supply to build up here in North Carolina.”
Charlotte’s largest hospital system, Atrium Health, gave the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine in the state Monday morning, to Dr. Katie Passaretti, Atrium’s medical director of infection prevention.
On Monday morning, Passaretti called the experience “a moment of hope,” and told reporters Monday night she felt fine and had experienced no side effects from the vaccine.
Getting the vaccine was an emotional experience for Passaretti, she said. That the vaccine is available now and is so effective — 95% effective, according to Pfizer — “feels miraculous in a way,” she said Monday night.
Mecklenburg County Public Health is also expecting vaccine deliveries next week, though details are not yet available. The county has logged 52,432 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic — a rate of 4,722 infections for every 100,000 residents, DHHS reported Tuesday morning. The local death toll is 494, Mecklenburg officials said Tuesday afternoon.
Vaccine shipments from the federal government are based on population, Cohen emphasized Tuesday. The allocations won’t change depending on worsening coronavirus conditions or hospital capacity.
Over the last week, the average number of new cases reported in Mecklenburg County per day is more than 630, according to DHHS. That’s a significant increase compared to both the previous peak seen in July across North Carolina as well as the end of November, when the average number of new cases per day was less than 400.
And Atrium and Novant doctors have warned hospitalizations are continuing to surge.
The number of people hospitalized each day in Mecklenburg County has steadily risen since October. In late November, the average number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital far exceeded the point previously seen in July.
According to the latest figures from Mecklenburg’s public health department, an average of 273 people were hospitalized with coronavirus daily over the last week. On Sunday, the volume hit 292, a new single-day record as cases and hospitalizations continue to skyrocket.
Hospital leaders from Atrium Health and Novant Health last week said there’s adequate capacity for the next several weeks, though resources could be overwhelmed in early 2021 if the public doesn’t stay vigilant.
“We are experiencing a staggering increase in our pandemic trends, and I am particularly worried about our hospital capacity,” Cohen said, adding that staffing levels for nurses and doctors is a critical concern.
Vaccines after Christmas
Mecklenburg has seen a surge in coronavirus levels since Thanksgiving, Priest said Tuesday. And there could be another spike over the December holidays, he said.
Though vaccinations are starting, the COVID-19 vaccine won’t be able to prevent a holiday spike this year, he said. In the first week of vaccinations, the state is only vaccinating health care workers.
“It’s really crucial we don’t let our guard down over the holidays,” Priest said. “We understand the desire to gather with your family and friends. This is going to be a holiday season like no other. And we’ve really got to try to maintain social distancing and masking to keep ourselves safe, or we’re going to have a tragedy on our hands.”
Priest said it would be a tragedy for people to get sick, get hospitalized, or even die from contracting COVID-19 over the holidays, just weeks before they’d be able to get a vaccine.
Novant is prepared to activate a number of surge planning contingencies if needed, Priest said.
The health care system has paused some elective procedures at some of its facilities, but those continue at Novant in Charlotte, Priest said. Novant is keeping a close eye on capacity, he said, running a “day-to-day, hour-to-hour assessment.”
Novant expects to receive vaccines on Thursday, Priest said.
Novant has approval to distribute vaccinations at three locations, including one in Charlotte at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Novant will also distribute vaccines at locations in Winston-Salem and in Brunswick County.
In the first week, Novant expects to get 6,800 vaccines from the state, Priest said.
That includes 2,925 vaccines in Mecklenburg County, according to DHHS. Atrium is expected to receive an allotment of 12,675 vaccines in the first week, spread out over at least seven locations in multiple counties, state figures show.
Atrium wouldn’t say exactly how many vaccines the hospital system received on Monday, but Atrium chief medical officer Gary Little said it was a small portion of the hospital system’s first week allocation.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 11:56 AM.
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