Coronavirus Vaccine
The Health Department is currently scheduling health care workers, long-term care residents and staff and older adults ages 65 and up for appointments (Phase One and Two). There are 1.6 million people over the age of 65 in North Carolina. In Orange County there are approximately 22,000 people who are 65 years of age or older.
If you are in Phase One and Two health care workers, long-term care residents and staff and older adults ages 65 and up) you may either sign up by filling out Complete the Vaccine Interest Form (VIF) at https://redcap.link/OCHDvax or by calling 919-913-8088. The call center is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call center staff are available to help register in Spanish and other languages.
Once you have either completed the vaccine interest survey or have registered by phone, you are on the waitlist and there is no need to call back to check your status. You will be contacted by Orange County staff via email or phone to schedule your appointment when a slot becomes available, but it may be weeks or months. People who are not currently in Phase One and Two should wait until they are eligible to register. If you have left a message, there is no need to call back. A staff member will be in touch with you as soon as they can.
The complete list of the vaccination plan’s phases may be found on the NCDHHS website.
Is the Orange County Health Department the Only Place to be Vaccinated? No.
You can get your vaccine from Orange County or other health care providers. To expedite the vaccination phases, please only book once with one provider. Appointments are required to better manage crowds and to track available supply of vaccine and you will need to get your first and second doses from the same provider. Once you receive a first dose, do not book another appointment with a different provider.
Vaccine Providers approximate to Orange County:
- Orange County Health Department ― Visit their Get Your Shot page to sign up or call 919-913-8088 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
- UNC Health ― Visit the Get Vaccinated page or call 984-215-5485 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
- Piedmont Health Services ― Visit the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination page or call 919-545-3452.
- COMING SOON! Hillsborough Pharmacy ― Visit their Home Page or call 919-245-1212.
- Duke Health ― Visit the COVID-19 Vaccines Update page to join the waiting list. If you are a Duke MyChart user, you can check Duke MyChart regularly to view appointment availability.
- Cone Health ― Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Information page to join the waiting list.
- Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System ― Call 919-286-0411 and dial 0 for the operator to schedule an appointment if you are a veteran at high risk or a veteran frontline essential worker. The VA will reach out to more veterans as additional supplies become available. See the system’s website for more information. See the COVID-19 Vaccine for High Risk Veterans to see the listing of veterans eligible now for vaccination through the VA.
Please do not double book, but rather either go through one provider or another.
Who is Next in Line to be Vaccinated?
Find your vaccine spot and sign up to get notified at https://findmygroup.nc.gov/.
Read more about the phases at the NCDHHS website.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
More information from the Orange County Health Department
Press Release: English, Español, Chinese
Who are Frontline Essential Workers?
English, Español, Chinese
More information from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines
More information from the CDC here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
Vaccine (shots) are one of the tools we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
To stop this pandemic, we need to use all of our prevention tools. Vaccines are one of the most effective tools to protect your health and prevent disease. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight the virus, if you are exposed (also called immunity). Other steps, like wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth and staying at least 6 feet away from other people you don’t live with, also help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. These vaccines cannot give you the disease itself.
| Different types of COVID-19 vaccines will be available. Most of these vaccines are given in two shots, one at a time and spaced apart. The first shot gets your body ready. The second shot is given at least three weeks later to make sure you have full protection. If you are told you need two shots, make sure that you get both of them. The vaccines may work in slightly different ways, but all types of the vaccines will help protect you. |
How can I sign up to be vaccinated?
Health care workers with in-person patient contact, Long-term care staff and residents and individuals 65 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. For community members 65 and older, there is no requirement to have certain qualifying chronic conditions.
Eligible individuals may begin the process of registering online by filling out our Vaccine Interest Form at https://redcap.link/OCHDvax. Community members who don’t have access to a computer or who need assistance filling out the form may call 919-913-8088. Foreign language interpreters will be available. The call center is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call center staff are available to help register in Spanish and other languages.
To reduce the number of phone calls, residents in subsequent phases will be asked to register later.
When can you get vaccinated?
Orange County will follow the state and national plans for vaccinating the community. People most at risk will receive it first, and phases will continue until all people are able to be vaccinated. Dates for each phase are not certain at this time, but we know that vaccines will be available for those at highest risk of exposure in the initial phase. As more vaccines become available, other groups will become eligible.
Group 1: Health care workers & Long-Term Care staff and residents
- Health care workers with in-person patient contact
- Long-term care staff and residents—people in skilled nursing facilities, adult care homes and continuing care retirement communities
Group 2: Older adults
- Anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation
Group 3: Frontline essential workers
- The CDC defines frontline essential workers as workers who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society and who are at substantially higher risk for exposure to COVID-19
Group 4: Adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness
- Anyone 16-64 years old with high-risk medical conditions that increase risk of severe disease from COVID-19 such as cancer, COPD, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes, among others, regardless of living situation
- Anyone who is incarcerated or living in other close group living settings who is not already vaccinated due to age, medical condition or job function
- Essential workers not yet vaccinated. The CDC defines these as workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing (e.g., construction), finance (e.g., bank tellers), information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, public safety (e.g., engineers) and public health workers
Group 5: Everyone who wants a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination
Learn more about this plan here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.
Link to the infographic below: https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/vaccines/NCDHHS-Vaccine-Infographic.pdf
Who are Frontline Essential Workers?
English, Español, Chinese
Great care has been taken to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
Scientists had a head start. Although the vaccines were developed quickly, they were built upon years of work in developing vaccines for similar viruses.
Testing was thorough and successful. More than 70,000 people participated in clinical trials for two vaccines to see if they are safe and effective. To date, the vaccines are nearly 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no safety concerns.
There is no COVID-19 virus in the vaccine. The vaccine imitates the infection so that our bodies think a germ like the virus is attacking. This creates the antibody defenses we need to fight off COVID-19 if and when the real germ attacks.
No major side effects. Some people may have temporary reactions after being vaccinated, such as swelling from the injection, tiredness or feeling off for a day or two.
What to Expect After Vaccination
| Flyer in English | Flyer in Spanish |
Source: CDC
COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
Common side effects
On the arm where you got the shot:
- Pain
- Swelling
Throughout the rest of your body:
- Fever
- Chills
- Tiredness
- Headache
Helpful tips
If you have pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor about taking an over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
To reduce pain and discomfort where you got the shot:
- Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
- Use or exercise your arm.
To reduce discomfort from fever:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Dress lightly.
When to call the doctor
In most cases, discomfort from fever or pain is normal. Contact your doctor or healthcare provider:
- If the redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours
- If your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days
- If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions.
V-Safe app: after vaccination health checker
Use your smartphone to tell the CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. www.cdc.gov/vsafe