GREENSBORO, N.C. — The limited state supply of COVID-19 vaccines has trickled down to Triad Health Departments as they struggle with mass vaccination programs.
The vaccination process is a huge task that has so far gone slower than people would like.
But Triad County Health department leaders said they are facing the challenges head-on despite a limited supply of vaccines.
"We have been able to ramp up a vaccination process in the last few weeks to thousands of people every week," said Dr. Julia Vann, director at Guilford County Health Department.
"As soon as we get allocated the vaccine, we start scheduling and make sure we get shots into the arms of people as quickly as we get the vaccines in," said Tony LoGuidice, Alamance County Health Department director.
As the vaccination exercise is poised to grow in the coming weeks and demand remaining high, some health departments said they would need more volunteers for their vaccination clinics.
The health departments have been coordinating with area partners to boost their vaccination efforts. For some, there is a need for licensed medical and support volunteers.
"We started using eligible volunteers for vaccinations and to help us with traffic control, greeting folks and just sort of whatever the job may be," said Janna Walker, Davidson County Health Dept.
In Alamance County, some help has come from nurses with the school district, the Burlington Fire Department, and the National Guard.
"Having a pool of people that we can pull from and fill in the gaps in our scheduling is definitely a plus. Anybody that wants to volunteer, especially medical staff with licenses and certifications that are in good standing is welcome," Lo Guidice said.
To find out how to sign up as a volunteer, contact your local health department.
