Catawba County News

COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments Now Available for 65+

COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments Now Available for 65+

Published: January 14, 2021

In line with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ changes to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, adults 65 and older may now make an appointment to receive the vaccine by calling the Catawba County Public Health Vaccination Appointment Line (828-695-6650) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Because of the large number of residents who are currently eligible for the vaccine, we will be working over the next several weeks to schedule appointments for everyone who is eligible and wants to be vaccinated.

Due to the new eligibility guidelines, we anticipate the appointment line will experience an extremely high volume of calls and longer than usual wait times for several days. We are continuing to expand our phone system and add appointment specialists to help manage the volume of calls we are receiving.

If we are experiencing a high volume of calls, some callers may hear a recorded message or have trouble getting through. Individuals who call during appointment scheduling hours and receive our recorded message should stay on the line and allow it to ring until an appointment specialist is available to answer the call.

We urge callers to not panic if they are not immediately able to get through to make their appointment. We ask those people to please call back in a few hours or on another day when call volume may not be as high. We ask that people do not call multiple times in a row, as this will continue to overwhelm the system.

To help ensure vaccine availability, we are actively managing our appointment schedule to align with the amount of vaccine we anticipate receiving on a weekly basis. This means everyone who is eligible for the vaccine will have an opportunity to receive it.

Appointments for healthcare workers who have not already received the vaccination and wish to do so are being coordinated by their employers. Employers of healthcare workers who have not made vaccination arrangements may call Catawba County Public Health at (828) 695-5800 to do so.

Catawba County Public Health is required to follow the state’s vaccine rollout plan and cannot make any exceptions to the plan.

For more information on COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine, go to https://www.catawbacountync.gov/county-services/public-health/coronavirus-19/ or call our COVID-19 Information Line at (828) 465-9595.