March 2021

In North Carolina nearly 19% of the population has received their first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 12% are fully vaccinated. The following groups are eligible for the vaccine:

• Healthcare and long term care staff and residents
• Older Adults
• Frontline essential workers

Governor Cooper announced that on Wednesday, March 17, people in Group 4 who have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness and people who live in certain congregate settings will be eligible for vaccination. The rest of Group 4, which includes other essential workers will become eligible April 7. Hopefully by Summer, anyone who wants the vaccine will be eligible to receive it.

Here’s what you need to know:

The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to everyone for free, whether or not you have health insurance. Whether they are given in one shot or two, all vaccines help prevent COVID-19 and are effective in preventing hospitalization and death. If your vaccine requires two shots, you will get a printed card and an email to remind you to come back 3 or 4 weeks later for your second dose. If you receive your first dose at Village Pharmacy, we set your second appointment at your first visit. You will need to get your second shot at the same place you got first. Your personal information is private and strictly confidential.

While all three vaccines have slightly different efficacy rates for contracting the virus, all three are 99% effective against serious illness. If you have the opportunity to get the vaccine, it doesn’t matter which one you take, so don’t “shop around” for a particular one. Here’s more information about each of them:

Pfizer:
Number of shots: 2 shots in the upper arm, 21 days apart.

Does not contain: Eggs, preservatives, latex

Recommended for people aged 16 years and older.

Efficacy: 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID 19 illness in people without evidence of serious infection.

Side effects:

In the arm:	Throughout the body:
Pain	Tiredness
Redness	Headache
Swelling	Muscle Pain
	Chills
	Fever
	Nausea

These side effects usually happen within seven days of getting vaccinated and are commonly mild to moderate. Fever, chills, and other side effects throughout the body are more common after the second dose of the vaccine. Most side effects are mild to moderate with a small number of people having side effects that affect their ability to do daily activities for a day or two.

Moderna
Number of shots: 2 shots in the upper arm, 28 days apart.

Does not contain: Eggs, preservatives, latex

Recommended for people aged 18 years and older.

Efficacy: 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID 19 illness in people without evidence of serious infection.

Side effects:

In the arm:	Throughout the body:
Pain	Tiredness
Redness	Headache
Swelling	Muscle Pain
	Chills
	Fever
	Nausea

These side effects, which might feel like flu symptoms, usually happen within a day or two of getting vaccinated and may affect your ability to do daily activities, but should go away after a few days. 

Johnson & Johnson
Number of shots: 1 shot in the upper arm

Does not contain: Eggs, preservatives, latex

Recommended for people aged 18 years and older.

Efficacy: 66.3% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID 19 illness in people without evidence of serious infection.

Side effects:

In the arm:	Throughout the body:
Pain	Tiredness
Redness	Headache
Swelling	Muscle Pain
	Chills
	Fever
	Nausea

These side effects are common within seven days of getting vaccinated, but were mostly mild to moderate. Side effects might affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Side effects were more common in people 18 – 59 years old compared to people 60 years and older.

Do not get the COVID-19 vaccine if:

• You are currently isolated and have not recovered from COVID-19.
• You have received a vaccine of any kind (other than COVID-19) in the last 14 days.
• You have pending test results due to an exposure.
• You have received convalescent therapy for COVID-19 in the last 90 days.

Please visit the Village Pharmacy website to get on our vaccine waiting list. As soon as we receive our allotted doses, we will call you as available. We typically receive 100 doses per week for first doses and 100 doses per week for second doses. To date, we have received only the Moderna vaccine.

Don’t delay, get your vaccine as soon as you can so we can gain community immunity and fight this virus. 

If you need transportation to a vaccination site in Pender County, visit the PenderPas website.