Dr. Cohen: It's OK to travel to other counties to get a COVID-19 vaccine

People have crossed county, even state lines to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and Dr. Mandy Cohen says that's OK.

Posted 12:25 p.m. Jan 22, 2021 — Updated 5:12 p.m. Jan 27, 2021

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While it's recommended to stay in your area, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said it's okay to travel across county lines for a vaccine.

The best practice is to know you own county's policies, but if your county or local hospital is all booked up with appointments but you know a neighboring county still has openings, Cohen said there is nothing stopping you from getting your shot there.

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

"You don't have to be confined to your county. Counties can and should and must serve all jurisdictions," said Cohen.

By "all jurisdictions," that means even people coming from out of state.

"These vaccines are paid for by the federal government. They're not supposed to be limited to that one location or one county," said Cohen, according to a WCNC Charlotte report.

Cohen also said the NCDHHS will provide rides for people needing transportation to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Around $2.5 million in coronavirus relief funding will be distributed to local transit agencies.

The first step is to call and get a registered appointment for your vaccine. Once you have an appointment, you contact you local transportation agency to schedule your appointment for a ride.