Starting Friday, Jan. 8, Vidant began vaccinating community members 75 and older in Phase 1b, group 1, as outlined by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). Vidant continues to identify and directly contact eligible high-risk individuals through community partners, as well as its patient database MyChart, in the initial launch of Phase 1b, group 1.

This initial approach is only the first step in making the vaccine more broadly available to eligible community members. Though the first wave of community vaccines are being administered in Greenville, Vidant will announce its plans to expand its efforts to vaccinate high-risk individuals throughout the East in the coming weeks.

As a reminder, NCDHHS provides allocations to local health departments and health systems with requirements to vaccinate eligible groups per its COVID-19 vaccine plan. The amount Vidant receives will determine the number of individuals we can vaccinate; so please know that efforts to vaccinate community members could take months.

As a leader in the East, Vidant is working collaboratively with our community partners throughout the region, including local health departments, ECU and area providers to ensure we can efficiently serve our community.

Vidant has full confidence in the vaccines. Before receiving FDA emergency use authorization approval, the COVID-19 vaccines went through rigorous testing and trials to prove they are safe and effective prior to distribution.

The vaccine offers great hope in the fight against COVID-19; protect yourself and your loved ones and #HelpUsENC by getting vaccinated when eligible, continuing to mask, social distance and wash hands.

For updates on Vidant’s community vaccine efforts, please visit VidantHealth.com/Vaccinate.