FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — The demand for vaccine appointments in the Triad has slowed down quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and this week - it's the slowest it's been so far.
Not long ago, phones were ringing off the hook at call centers, and online vaccine appointments snagged within minutes, as eligible people raced to book their slot before they all ran out.
MAKE A VACCINE APPOINTMENT: Call the North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccine Helpline at 1-888-675-4567
"Two months ago, those would've gone in literally 30 minutes or an hour," said Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift.
"Those few minutes to begin with - it was pandemonium," said Trey Wright, Public Health Director for Rockingham County, "600 shots would go in three minutes! The phone system would take a little bit longer, maybe an hour but that’s because you’re limited by how quickly you can get the information entered."
That sprint to get vaccinated gradually slowing down to more of a walk.
"Our goal is to schedule a total of 2000 appointments for Thursday at the Fairgrounds, currently at last count we have a little over 630 appointments that have been made," Swift said on Tuesday.
The number of people eligible is increasing by the day, but so are the options to get your shot, part of what he attributes to the slowdown.
"There are more places that you can go to. You can go to CVS, Walgreens, other pharmacies and places that have it," he said.
That's also the case in Rockingham County, according to Wright: more vaccine providers, plus, more people who want to choose their specific vaccine.
"[It's a matter of] supply, demand, now we have choices. We have folks that wanted a vaccine - but now, we have folks that want the vaccine."
Wright says that vaccine is often Johnson & Johnson, which Rockingham County's health department does not currently have, but it could get in the future.
Both health directors say their best advice is to sign up as soon as you're able - knowing the search for a slot isn't so difficult right now. In Forsyth, they do expect an uptick in appointment demand when the state moves to Group 5 on April 7th.
Rockingham County is one of the few counties across the state allowing Group 5 to get vaccinated, that's the general public. At last check, 150 slots were available. The health director doesn't think a lack of interest is the reason, rather, it's because residents don't know about it.
