Governor Cooper Visits Dare County Community Vaccine Site as State Continues To Encourage Adults To Get Vaccinated | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen visited a vaccine clinic held by the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services to see more people get their COVID-19 vaccine.

    "Each shot of vaccine brings us closer to doing more things we like to do with the people we love and care about," Governor Cooper said. "It's so important that we encourage our loved ones who haven't got the vaccine to go get their shot."

    On Friday, the vaccine clinic administered almost 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to people getting first and second shots. The Dare County Department of Health and Human Services has distributed more than 30,000 vaccinations so far. Dare County has one of the highest vaccination rates in North Carolina with 47.6 percent of adults at least partially vaccinated and 36.7 percent of adults fully vaccinated.

    "Congratulations to Dare County for having one of the highest rates of vaccination in the state! The faster people get vaccinated, the sooner we will turn the corner on this pandemic," said Secretary Cohen.

    "We are grateful for Governor Cooper's leadership throughout the pandemic and for taking time to visit our vaccine clinic today to help reinforce the important message of encouraging people to get vaccinated to protect against COVID-19," said Dr. Sheila Davies, the Public Health Director for the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services. "Dare County has been working diligently since December to provide COVID vaccinations to individuals in our community. To date, we have provided 15,360 initial doses and fully vaccinated 13,149 individuals. Getting your COVID vaccine is now easier and quicker than ever, as the supply has dramatically increased. We strongly encourage anyone 16 and over to get vaccinated now, especially before the busy summer is upon us."

    Over 6.1 million shots have been administered so far in North Carolina. More than 45 percent percent of adults have received at least one shot, and 32.5 percent of adults are fully vaccinated. All adults in North Carolina are eligible to receive their vaccine. Governor Cooper encourages people to talk to their family and friends who are hesitant about the importance of getting this life-saving vaccine.

    North Carolinians can find vaccine providers in their communities through the NCDHHS online tool, Find a Vaccine Location. The COVID-19 vaccine hotline is available at 888-675-4567. Learn more about the state's vaccine distribution at YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov (English) or Vacunate.nc.gov (Spanish).

    To allow for proper distancing and safety protocols, coverage of this event was pooled.

    Video footage of this event will be available for media use HERE and HERE.

    Still photos will available HERE, credit to Philip Ruckle of The Coastland Times.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov