PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Public Health Department continues to encourage residents to take advantage of the many local options available for the COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 36,000 Chatham County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, marking 49% of the population. Of those, 34,291 Chatham residents are considered fully vaccinated, accounting for 46% of the population. There were only nine counties in North Carolina with 50% or more of their population vaccinated with at least one dose. Chatham could soon become the 10th if only a few hundred residents roll up their sleeves.
“Reaching 50% of the population vaccinated against COVID-19 would be a significant milestone in our fight to end the pandemic,” said Chatham County Public Health Director Mike Zelek. “While that is not our end goal, becoming the tenth county in North Carolina to achieve half of the population vaccinated would be a point of pride for our community and an ideal way to recognize the public health and healthcare workers who have given so much over the past 15 months.”
By visiting myspot.nc.gov, residents can put in their city or ZIP code and find multiple locations in their area to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Locations are also sortable by type of vaccine: the Pfizer vaccine, which is available to all individuals 12 years of age and older, and the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines, which are available to all individuals 18 years of age and older.
Additionally, the Chatham County Public Health Department is monitoring any future changes with vaccine eligibility and Emergency Use Authorizations. Updates will be shared in future press releases, on the department’s social media channels and on the Chatham County COVID-19 Vaccine website at www.chathamcountync.gov/coronavirusvaccine.
On June 15, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) marked COVID-19 variant B.1.617.2, or the “Delta” variant, as a variant of concern, citing the variant’s increased ability to spread from one person to another and potential reduction in effectiveness of some treatments for COVID-19. The CDC reported that the variant was spreading rapidly in the United States, including in North Carolina.
While COVID-19 statistics are trending in the right direction, North Carolina and the rest of the country continue to see cases of COVID-19 as well as hospitalizations and deaths, particularly among unvaccinated individuals.
“The emergence and spread of COVID-19 variants, such as the Delta variant, makes getting the COVID-19 vaccine even more important,” Zelek said. “They are the best protection we have against the virus, including these variants.”
In Goldston, the StarMed clinic at Goldston Town Hall (40 Coral Avenue #A) will continue to operate from 2-7 p.m. on Wednesdays. To learn more and schedule an appointment, visit www.starmed.care or call 980-445-9818. Walk-ins will be accepted.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and the CCPHD’s vaccination plans, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/coronavirusvaccine. To learn more about the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/publichealth or www.facebook.com/chathamhealth.