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Dare County continues to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers whose duties put them at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 or who are vital to the initial COVID-19 vaccine response. This is priority group 1a.

Dare’s Department of Health and Human Services expects to continue vaccinating Phase 1a for about two more weeks.

North Carolina has published a revised vaccination priority list.

Up next is titled Phase 1b: Adults 75 years or older and frontline essential workers and has three groups:

Group 1: Anyone 75 years or older regardless of medical condition or living situation. People do not have to have a chronic health condition.

Group 2: Health care and frontline essential workers who are 50 years of age or older.

Group 3: Frontline workers of any age and health care workers of any age, regardless of whether they work directly with COVID-19 patients. This phase is anticipated to begin in early January.

The CDC defines frontline essential workers as first responders (firefighters, police), education (child care, teachers, support staff), manufacturing, corrections officers, public transit, grocery store, food and agriculture, and US postal workers, states a media release.

As of Dec. 28, COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to 63,571 individuals. Another update is expected Jan.5, 2021.

Hyde County Health Department advises that Phase 1b will start the week of Jan. 4, 2021. The department reports that appointments must be made. Additional information about scheduling an appointment will be posted throughout the community. On Dec. 31, Ocracoke frontline workers were receiving vaccinations.

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