18+ eligible for vaccine in Anson

WADESBORO — The Anson County Health Department has now opened COVID-19 vaccination appointments to all residents who are 18 years and over.

To register, fill out a form and email it to covidregistration@co.anson.nc.us or drop the form off at the health department. Once the health department receives your form, an employee will call to schedule an appointment.

For those who do not have access to email, call 704-694-5188, press 1 and the health department will take down your information over the phone.

Right now the health department is only vaccinating with the Moderna vaccine, which is authorized to vaccinate adults 18 or older, even though people over 16 years of age are eligible to receive a shot.

If residents who are 16 and 17 years old want to be vaccinated, they will have to find a location that gives out the Pfizer vaccine. You may find a Pfizer vaccination site at myspot.nc.gov and schedule your appointment through the website.

The website allows you to type in your zip code, city or current location. You can filter the results but which vaccine you would like to receive — Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. Be sure to check back often as providers update appointments regularly.

As of April 11, 30.1% of the state’s population 18 years and older have been fully vaccinated, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website. In Anson, 4,275 people, or 17.5% have been fully vaccinated.

NCDHHS released new findings from a public opinion search about COVID-19 vaccine risks, rewards and vaccination motivations. In comparison to the same survey released in the fall, the number of people who would recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to family and friends jumped from 30% to 59% in March.

Most North Carolina residents are ready for the vaccine because they want to get back to a normal life and they have the desire to protect oneself, friends and family, according to the NCHHS survey.

Even as more residents become vaccinated, the health department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage the continuing of social distancing, staying six feet apart and wearing a mask.

The health department is also resuming their normal in-person clinical services on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“We will continue to offer the Moderna COVID vaccine at the EMS base on County Club Road on Tuesdays and Thursday,” Fred Thompson, health director, said in a press release. “We are making these changes as we have seen a significant decrease in the demand for the vaccine over the last few weeks, and the need to start seeing patients again at the Health Department.”

“Finally, I want to encourage all eligible adults to get vaccinated,” Thompson said. “The vaccines are safe and effective and they play a critical role in helping to finally put the pandemic behind us.”