People with health conditions can get coronavirus vaccination starting next week

North Carolina is one of 13 states that hasn't yet started immunizing people with pre-existing conditions, but Cooper said the growing supply of vaccines makes it possible to include more people on the state's priority list.

The move marks the second time the state has accelerated its vaccination schedule in recent weeks, having earlier made front-line workers in key industries eligible on March 3 instead of March 10.

"Increased supply is one reason we're moving it up. Second, we've heard from some providers who want to go ahead and start opening this up," Cooper said during a news conference. "I think pretty much across the state we still have a lot more demand than we have supply."

North Carolina providers have administered more than 3 million shots to date, with 11.2 percent of residents statewide fully vaccinated. Another 6.9 percent have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine.

Some counties are already booking vaccination appointments for people in Group 4 with medical conditions, but Cooper's announcement is expected to move that process along even faster. Still, he noted, that opening up eligibility to new groups in the state priority list is a local decision, based on vaccine supply and demand for shots.

Onslow County is so far ahead of the curve that officials there are opening up appointments to all adults in the area whenever they have available doses so that they don't waste any of their weekly allotment of 1,800 doses.

Assistant County Manager Glenn Hargett said the county is following state guidance, and people in Groups 1 through 4 will still be given priority for appointments. Anyone outside those groups can call 910-989-5027 to get on a waiting list, and county staff will call them back for an appointment if slots open up so no doses will be left over, he said.

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.

Durham County will allow Group 4 members to start signing up for appointments at noon Friday 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.

The remainder of Group 4, which includes other workers in key industries who aren't in front-line positions, will be eligible for vaccinations on April 7, officials said.

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

Carol Walker said she believes people with pre-existing medical conditions, including her husband, should not still be waiting for the vaccine.

"It's mind-numbing that we are not protecting our most vulnerable people in North Carolina," Walker said. "They are the most vulnerable patients for dying from COVID."

David Walker suffers from an auto-immune condition, cardiac issues and diabetes, and the couple has has to make hard decisions during the pandemic, such as staying away from their children and grandchildren.

"They're not following CDC guidelines. That is not what the CDC has recommended," said Carol Walker, who also is a nurse. "Obviously, in a couple of weeks, we may be out of the woods with this. But for me, it's looking back at how it was handled and treated, and it's, it's very upsetting to me."

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said officials tried to build their priority list by combining who was at highest risk from the virus with who was most exposed to a potential infection on a daily basis.

So, health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities were placed in Group 1, people age 65 or older in Group 2 and teachers, police officers, supermarket workers and others in key front-line jobs in Group 3.

"There are levels of risk in all of this," Cohen said, adding that she recognizes the priority list doesn't have perfect cut-off points.

Find a COVID shot in central NC

There are estimates that more than half of adults in North Carolina have at least one medical condition that puts them at risk for severe COVID-19 complications. Cohen explained at a news conference why people who are even slightly overweight get the same vaccination opportunities as those with cancer or diabetes.

"We are using the CDC guidance that looks at what are those conditions that put you at higher risk," she said. "They're not all equal, but we wanted to make sure that all of those that had some increased risk because of their underlying medical condition were able to get vaccinated in this next group."

"It's always hard to figure out who do you prioritize because somebody is going to be stepped in front of," said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert at UNC Health.

Almost every group on the vaccination priority list has opened up sooner than expected, Wohl noted. While the new timeline is promising, he said, vaccine remains in short supply.

"I am encouraged that we are on the cusp of really seeing us open up, and I think that's because there's going to be so many more doses of vaccine available," he said. "I think those people are really, really, really close to being able to sign up for a vaccine, but we need doses. We need supply. We still haven't seen that flood that we've been promised."