As of June 30, the COVID 19 community outreach mobile unit will no longer be offering no-cost vaccines in the community. 

Wake County will continue to provide no-cost vaccines at our standing health clinics. 

Everyone 6 months and older is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in North Carolina. At this time, Pfizer and Moderna are the only vaccine authorized for those under 18 years old. These are available at all Wake County clinics. People 17 and under will need parental consent. 

You can make an appointment by calling our Public Health Call Center at  919-250-1500 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Wake County Public Health is one of many vaccine providers in Wake County. Find a vaccination location near you at NC Vaccine Finder.

All providers are working closely together to vaccinate the public against COVID-19 and help keep our community healthy and safe.

Anyone six months and older is eligible for an appointment.

** The NCDHHS COVID-19 vaccine portal will end on June 1, 2023.**

At your first COVID-19 vaccine appointment with Wake County Public Health, we gave you a Vaccination Record Card s I was ok with the date, location and vaccine batch number you received. When you receive further doses, staff will continue to record your doses on this same we card. PLEASE keep this card safe and take a picture of it as a backup copy.

If you ever want to check out your vaccine record online, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is keeping a digital record for you! Just go online and get your online COVID-19 vaccination record here – you can even print out. The USERNAME is your email address with “.covid19vaccine” added at the end – then enter your password. If you forget your password, just click “Forgot Username or Password” and you should get an email with how to access.  A digital photo of your card or printed versions of your vaccine information from your vaccine provider should, in most cases, serve as a valid replacement for the physical paper card, if you need proof of COVID-19 vaccination for travel or for a doctor’s appointment.

If you got your first shot with Wake County Public Health and you’re coming in for a second, third or booster dose with us, but you can’t find your card, our staff can look you up in our system and give you an updated card after your shot.

If you don’t have an appointment or can’t access your online record at the link above, you can call our Wake County Public Health COVID-19 hotline at 919-250-1500 and we’ll work with you to get a replacement card. Please do not just simply show up at a vaccine clinic for a replacement card, our staff will not be able to accommodate you. If you did NOT receive your vaccine from Wake County Public Health, please reach out to the provider who administered your shot. Wake County Public Health can only provide cards to those residents we have administered vaccine to.

Need additional help? NCDHHS may be able to help you out. Contact their NC COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center at 888-675-4567 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, or send them a message.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners have decided to rescind the mask mandate, effective Friday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m.

Wake County still encourages the public to wear a mask in high-risk settings and large crowds or if they are feeling sick. There are still some places, such as health care, long-term care and transportation like airplanes, where a mask will be required because of the setting or federal regulations.

For up-to-date information from the NC Department of Health and Human Services on mask wearing visit Face Coverings and Masks | NC COVID-19 (ncdhhs.gov).

As of August 16, 2021, Wake County Public Health began administering an additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine today to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems who already received two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna.

People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised make up about 3% of the adult population and are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness.

Studies indicate some immunocompromised people don’t always build the same level of immunity even after getting both doses of either Pfizer or Moderna. Additional studies  show that fully vaccinated, immunocompromised people account for a percentage of hospitalized “breakthrough cases,” and that suggests these people are more likely to transmit the virus to others in their home.

Third doses for those with weakened immune systems are different than boosters,click here to find out more about boosters.  

Who can get an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?
You should talk to your healthcare provider about your medical condition to determine whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for you. The CDC recommends third doses to:

• Cancer patients undergoing active treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood;
• Organ transplant recipients who are taking medicine to suppress their immune systems;
• Stem cell transplant recipients who are less than two years out from their transplant and taking medicine to suppress their immune systems;
• Anyone with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
• Anyone with advanced or an untreated HIV infection; and
• Anyone receiving high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response.
   

Third doses for those with weakened immune systems are different than boosters,click here to find out more about boosters.  

You can make an appointment at any of Wake County Public Health’s vaccine clinics. 

No. When you arrive at a clinic, our registration staff will find your vaccination record in the NC COVID Vaccine Management System, or CVMS, to ensure you received both doses of either Pfizer or Moderna. You can also bring your vaccine card. Then, you’ll simply be asked to attest or declare that you are immunocompromised by signing a digital form.

The V-Safe Program will suspend enrollment for new patients on May 19 and will end completely on June 30.

Please sign-up for V-Safe, a symptom checker that will send you occasional texts to ask you how you’re feeling and allow you to report any symptoms. It’s critically important, and it only takes two minutes to answer the questions. It’s the best way to help keep vaccines safe. Go to vsafe.cdc.gov to sign up.

Even after receiving this additional dose, people who are immunocompromised should continue follow the 3Ws - wearing a mask, waiting six feet apart from others they do not live with and washing hands frequently. They should also avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas.

Some people report temporary reactions after being vaccinated, such as swelling from the injection, tiredness or feeling bad for a day or two. These are normal symptoms and a sign of a proper immune response, similar to those experienced when receiving other routine vaccinations. These reactions typically last no longer than a day and a half. You cannot become infected with COVID-19 from receiving the vaccine. Please consult your primary care physician if you have any concerns about the way you’re feeling after vaccination. View more information here.

Yes, Wake County Public Health does show you the expected brand(s) of vaccine offered at each site when you're making an appointment.

All the approved vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in reducing death and serious hospitalization from COVID-19.

Most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain and fever. Side effects are more common after the second dose, especially for younger adults.

The goal is to increase vaccination rates so our community can slow the spread of COVID-19 and get back to life.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to everyone at no-cost in the clinic, whether or not you have health insurance. The federal government is purchasing the vaccines. Just like Wake County Public Health continues offering no-cost COVID-19 testing, we will be working to make sure everyone has equal access to the vaccine, as well.

Yes, you should get vaccinated whether you've had COVID-19 or not.

Sometimes after being infected by a virus, your body builds up a “natural immunity” by making its own antibodies. But right now, there’s not enough information available to confidently say if being infected with COVID-19 creates any protection from getting it again. Early evidence suggests that natural immunity to COVID-19 may not last very long, so that's why it's recommended that everyone get a vaccine, even if you've tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.

If you were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

It is safe to get vaccinated if you have been infected in the past.

The CDC recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 than non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe COVID-19 illness. Check out pregnancy information from the CDC.

There is growing evidence about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. Scientists have found no safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated late in pregnancy or their babies. There is no increased risk for miscarriage among people who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine before 20 weeks of pregnancy. The vaccines do not cause infertility or have other long-term effects.

Vaccine side effects primarily happen within six weeks of a dose. That's why the FDA studied people who receive the vaccine, including pregnant people, for at least two months after the last dose to watch for any side effects. Listen to this great response from a vaccine researcher at the Vaccine Education Center.

Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is only available as a shot. Talk to a doctor, nurse or medical professional about your fear of needles. Many people report being afraid of needles, but they weigh the benefits of feeling that brief prick against getting sick if they contract COVID-19. When you get vaccinated, it not only protects you, it protects our community by breaking the chain of infection that COVID-19 relies on to spread.

Children 6 months old and up have been approved by the FDA and CDC to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine under an emergency authorization.

The vaccines are the best way to protect your child from getting seriously ill due to COVID-19. Parents have already done so much to keep kids healthy with virtual school, limiting playdates and canceling travel plans. The COVID-19 vaccine is an added layer of protection that is necessary to put the pandemic behind us.

Mutations in viruses, including the coronavirus which is causing the COVID-19 pandemic, are neither new nor unexpected. There are several additional strains and there will likely be more as this pandemic progresses. The more people infected by COVID-19, the more chances there are for mutations to occur. That's why getting vaccinated and following the 3W's continue to be our best defense against exposure, infection, and the evolution of new strains.

Our state has increased the number of specimens it regularly submits to the CDC for genetic sequencing, which detects new strains and vaccine sensitivity. The vaccine manufacturers are testing their vaccines against the new strains and will develop new boosters as needed. 

Wake County Public Health offers all vaccine brands authorized in the United States. There are two vaccines available, free of charge: Pfizer-BioNTech (ages 6m+) En español and Moderna (ages 6m+) En español. 

You can make an appointment by calling our Public Health Call Center at 919-250-1500 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Staff members on-site will assist with scheduled follow-up appointments as needed. You should be provided with a vaccine card where staff will write the date of your next appointment.

If you don't make an appointment while you're here with us, the best way to check availability and get your second appointment is to call  919-250-1500. We’ll do everything we can to ensure you don’t miss your next appointment.

Wake County has moved to appointments only to ensure anyone seeking a vaccine has a reserved timeslot. 

Yes. The FDA and CDC have determined it is safe to get both a COVID-19 dose and flu shot at the same time. If you have concerns about getting both vaccines at the same time, you should speak with a health care provider.

No doctor’s note/prescription or other documentation is needed. Please just bring your vaccine card with you. When you arrive at a clinic, our registration staff will confirm your vaccination record in the NC COVID Vaccine Management System, or CVMS. Then, you’ll simply be asked to attest or declare that you are qualified by signing a digital form. This will help ensure there are not additional barriers to access for individuals seeking a booster dose.

Everyone regardless of vaccination status should wear a mask indoors in public to maximize protection from the variants and prevent possibly spreading it to others. These recommendations are based on Wake County’s case rate, which determines the Level of Community Transmission as defined by the CDC. Face masks are required in some health care facilities and on public transportation.  Wearing a mask is the best way to slow the spread when around others outside your household. The two biggest risks are social gatherings and public dining, which bring people together who are not usually together. Keep your bubble of contacts as small as possible and do not let your guard down.

• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times.
• Frequently and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Practice proper respiratory etiquette, including coughing and sneezing into the back of your elbow or into a tissue. Immediately throw away the tissue and wash your hands.
   

Yes, a parent or guardian authorized to make a medical decision for them will be required to sign an a consent/attestation form. The parent or guardian must be present to sign. 

The updated vaccines (bivalent) protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have developed updated COVID-19 vaccines.