COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Update as of Tuesday, February 22, 2021

The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all who want it, but supplies are currently limited. Due to vaccine supply uncertainty, the Harnett County Health Department is working thru its COVID-19 vaccine waiting list.  We are scheduling first dose COVID-19 vaccines, by appointment only, for for persons 65 years or older and health care workers, school and childcare personnel.  We will contact you when we have availability to schedule your vaccine appointment. If you have already called or emailed and provided your contact information, no additional action is needed. As we receive additional vaccine, we will continue to work through the waiting list. 

On February 10, Governor Cooper did announce that K-12 educators, child-care and school personnel have been moved to group 3 of the vaccination plan and will be eligible to receive the vaccine beginning February 24. Our Harnett County Health Department is working with the school systems and child care facilities to coordinate the vaccination effort. If you are an educator, child-care, or school personnel, please be on the lookout from your school system regarding next steps for your vaccine appointment. You will not need to follow up with the Health Department to schedule an appointment. Read more on NCDHHS guidance for School and Childcare workers.

Other frontline essentail workers will be eligible for the vaccine beginning March 10. More information will be released regarding signing up for the waitlist in the coming weeks. Read more on NCDHHS guidance for frontline essential workers. 

There has been a far greater demand than available vaccine supply at this time. We do expect to be allocated additional vaccine and when we do additional receive vaccines, we will continue to work through the waiting list.  The timing of the clinics will be dependent upon availability, and the weekly dosage allocation received from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). 

We understand frustrations, and everyone will be able to get their shot as vaccine supplies increase over the next several months.  It is our highest priority to ensure everyone who wants the vaccine will be given the opportunity to be vaccinated.  The Health Department is continually working to provide COVID-19 vaccine and following North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

About the COVID-19 Vaccine

Tested, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines will help us get back in control of our lives and back to the people and places we love

Scientists had a head start. The vaccines were built upon years of work to develop vaccines for similar viruses.

Tested, safe and effective. More than 70,000 people volunteered in clinical trials for two vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) to see if they are safe and work to prevent COVID-19 illness. Volunteers included Black/African Americans, Hispanics/LatinX, Asians and others. To date, the vaccines are 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no serious safety concerns noted in the clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes sure the vaccines are safe and can prevent people from getting COVID-19. Like all drugs, vaccine safety continues to be monitored after they are in use.

You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. You may have temporary reactions like a sore arm, headache or feeling tired and achy for a day or two after receiving the vaccine.

Take your shot at no cost. The COVID-19 vaccine will be available for free, whether or not you have insurance.

Read Frequently Asked Questions

Vaccination Plan

The Harnett County Health Department is working to safely and effectively provide vaccines in accordance with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS vaccination plan. Everyone who wants the vaccine will be given the opportunity to get vaccinated.   The COVID-19 vaccine will be available free of charge. Those who are planning to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations from the Harnett County Health Department will receive the Moderna vaccine.

Listed below are the phases for the vaccination plan. Individuals in Group 1 and Group 2 and for K-12 educators, school personnel, and child care facility employees are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

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 continuin
  Learn more about Group 1

Group 2: Older adults

• Anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation
  Learn more about Group 2

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
  Learn more about Group 3

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

Information for Individuals 65 and Older

Individuals that are 65 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To receive a vaccine through the Harnett County Health Department, you will need to schedule an appointment. Appointments can be scheduled through our online form or by calling our COVID hotline at 910-814-6582. 

Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in NC and Harnett County vastly exceeds the current supply. For anyone who has currently received a scheduled appointment will be seen.  For others who have not been contacted or scheduled for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, your name will be placed on a waiting list.  If you have already called or emailed and provided the information requested, no additional action is needed.  Please do not make more than one request by phone or through email for a vaccine appointment, one contact is sufficient. 

The timing of the clinics for individuals 65 and older will be dependent upon vaccine availability, and the weekly dosage allocation received from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Due to the huge response for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Harnett County Health Departments’ phone lines, call center, and website are at capacity.  We are requesting everyone to be patient, including those still waiting for callbacks for vaccine appointments.  The Health Department staff are working as quickly as possible to respond to each individual and schedule an appointment.

Information on the 2^nd Dose of Vaccines

Public Health Officials with the Harnett County Health Department announced that individuals who have received their first dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Harnett County Health Department will be called to schedule an appointment for their second dose of the COVID Moderna vaccine. The Moderna vaccine requires a second shot 28 days after the first. The Harnett County Health Department is continually working to provide the COVID-19 vaccine and is following North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.  Officials request everyone to please be patient as they work to provide vaccination.

Schedule an Appointment

If you are currently 65 years old and older or an eligible health care worker who would like to receive the COVID vaccine, please complete our COVID appointment online form. You may also call our COVID-19 hotline at 910-814-6582. Vaccinations will be provided by appointment only.

Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in NC and Harnett County vastly exceeds the current supply. The Harnett County Health Department is currently postponing scheduling any first dose COVID-19 vaccine clinics effective immediately due to lack of vaccine supply.

For anyone who has currently received a scheduled appointment will be seen.  For others who have not been contacted or scheduled for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, your name will be placed on a waiting list.  If you have already called or emailed and provided the information requested, no additional action is needed.  Please do not make more than one request by phone or through email for a vaccine appointment, one contact is sufficient. 

Due to the huge response for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Harnett County Health Departments’ phone lines, call center, and website are at capacity.  We are requesting everyone to be patient, including those still waiting for callbacks for vaccine appointments.  The Health Department staff are working as quickly as possible to respond to each individual and schedule an appointment.