COVID vaccine shipping delay forces Mecklenburg to postpone appointments for shots
Mecklenburg County Public Health vaccine appointments are now filled through March 9, according to the county. And some appointments will be postponed due to shipping delays, the health department said in a statement Friday.
Public Health hasn’t received the COVID-19 vaccine shipment for the week of Feb. 9, partially due to inclement weather causing shipping delays, according to the county.
The health department will postpone most second dose appointments at StarMed for Feb. 12 though Feb. 15, and any first dose appointments scheduled for the morning of Feb. 15.
But the health department’s weekend vaccine events will go on as scheduled, according to the county.
Patients will be notified if their appointments are postponed, and new appointments will be provided.
Tech problems
The announcement comes after Mecklenburg once again experienced technology issues, with high volumes of people calling or going online Friday to make appointments to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Those appointments went live Friday at 8:30 a.m.
But the website was “moving slower than usual due to the high volume of traffic to the website,” and many people calling the county hotline are being asked to leave voicemails, county spokeswoman Rebecca Carter said in a statement Friday morning.
“We are excited and encouraged by the interest and response from our residents in Groups 1, 2 and 3,” Carter said.
When vaccine appointments first went live in early January, many people weren’t able to use Mecklenburg’s vaccine appointment hotline due to the “extremely high call volume,” County Manager Dena Diorio said at the time.
Teachers, others now eligible
Friday marked the first time educators, including child care workers, school staff and pre-K through 12th grade teachers are able to sign up for appointments to get the vaccine through county public health. Those people are now eligible to sign up for appointments that fall on or after Feb. 24.
The county is also offering vaccines to health care workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities and anyone age 65 and up.
People looking for a vaccine from the county can try to schedule an appointment online or call the vaccine hotline at 980-314-9400 Option 3.
Anyone unable to schedule an appointment can join the health department’s vaccine waitlist online.
People can also reach out to their primary health care provider for information on the vaccine. Charlotte hospital systems Atrium Health and Novant Health are both offering vaccines to eligible people.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 9:46 AM.
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