Johnston County vaccine clinic reaches capacity before first shots are given

After Johnston County announced it would include Group 4 in a first-come, first-served, first-dose clinic Friday afternoon, so many cars lined up at Johnston Community College Friday that organizers announced they had reached capacity before the event's scheduled start time of 2 p.m.

Posted 9:35 p.m. Mar 11, 2021 — Updated 10:19 p.m. Mar 12, 2021

Keely Arthur

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Joe Fisher, WRAL reporters

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — Another wave of people become eligible for a COVID vaccine next Wednesday – including those with high-risk conditions, like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

Group 4 also includes those who are overweight and obese – a factor that's been linked to more serious illness with COVID.

Some counties are already vaccinating those people or booking appointment for them.

After Johnston County announced it would include Group 4 in a first-come, first-served, first-dose clinic Friday afternoon, so many cars lined up at Johnston Community College Friday that organizers announced they had reached capacity before the event's scheduled start time of 2 p.m.

Durham County started scheduling appointments for those in Group 4 on Thursday and will start vaccinating them on March 17, according to a news release.

People won't have to show proof of a health condition to register.

Locations, phone numbers to get your COVID shot in central NC

Wake County plans to open its online vaccination registration system to those in Group 4 affected by the governor's decision on or before March 17, spokeswoman Stacy Beard said.

"We’ve been able to administer, on average, more than 10,000 first doses per week, so we’re optimistic about this progress through the eligible groups," Beard said in an email to WRAL News, noting people who have registered online are getting a scheduled vaccination appointment in less than a week, on average.

WRAL has compiled a list of specific health conditions that make you eligible under Group 4.

List: Who's in what group in NC's vaccination priority list

For example, a person who is 5’5 and 150 pounds would be considered overweight. Someone who is 5’10 and 175 pounds would also be considered overweight and qualify for a vaccine. If you're unsure about whether or not you qualify for a vaccine based on your weight, take a look at a BMI calculator to see if you fall into the overweight or obese category.

People with health conditions can get coronavirus vaccination starting next week

Smokers are also included in Group 4. The term 'smoker' is defined as having smoked 100 cigarettes in your lifetime.

Some have raised concerns about smokers being included — but Holland said patients who have any sort of lung damage may do worse if diagnosed with COVID.

Locations, phone numbers to get your COVID shot in central NC

North Carolina will move to Group 4 a week earlier than planned. In Chatham County, more than 1,000 people have pre-registered.

Health Director Michael Zelek said Group 3 appointments are booked. Some counties, however, like Johnston, Vance and Granville have already started vaccinating Group 4.

WRAL has put together a list of locations and contact information for places administering COVID vaccines across the state.

One NC county opens appointments for Group 5

Onslow County is tentatively opening up appointments for Group 5 – but they will not get priority over anyone from Group 4. However, if they have extra doses, adults in Group 5 could be able to make an appointment.

People from Group 5 can call the hotline at 910-989-5027. They can get on a list and when slots open up, they will get a call back. This is to make sure their doses don’t go to waste, per guidelines.

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