ROCKINGHAM — FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond and the Richmond County Health Department continue to register eligible members of the public for COVID-19 vaccination through Operation FirstShot.
Anyone 65 or older who would like to be vaccinated should call 910-417-3030 to schedule an appointment. Please be prepared to leave a voicemail message with your name, date of birth, email address and a phone number where you can be reached. A representative of the hospital or health department will call you back within five business days to schedule the appointment as long as vaccine supplies last. Currently there are 500 doses available for the week beginning Feb. 8, 2021. Should the vaccine supply be exhausted before all calls are returned, your call will be returned when more supply is available. Hospital officials request you don’t leave multiple messages.
According to John Jackson, president of FirstHealth’s Southern Region and administrator of MRH-Richmond, FirstHealth and Richmond County officials want to vaccinate all those who are 65 and older before the state opens vaccination availability to additional groups. “We encourage those who have received the vaccine to share information with family and friends who are eligible,” he said.
COVID-19 vaccination requires two doses. The second dose will be given approximately 28 days after the first dose. FirstHealth and the Health Department will schedule a second vaccine at the time recipients receive the first one. In Richmond County, all residents will receive the Moderna vaccine.
Please be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes after vaccination. All vaccinated persons will be monitored for any side-effects by hospital personnel. We ask that you arrive at your appointment time and no earlier.
FirstHealth and Richmond Health Department officials stressed that vaccine supplies are extremely limited. Ongoing clinics, which will be by appointment only, will depend on vaccine allotments from the state.
