Reverend Dr. Charles Mosley receives a vaccination.
Reverend Dr. Charles Mosley receives a vaccination.

When Reverend Dr. Charles Mosley was asked why he took the Covid-19 vaccine, his reply was, “That’s what faith leaders do, they lead!”

More than 1,200 individuals have been vaccinated by Buncombe County HHS and Emergency Services. While the total number or type of vaccines Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) will receive from the state each week is uncertain, a minimum of 500 appointments per week will be scheduled, with additional appointments added when BCHHS receives confirmation of state allotment of vaccines.

Registering for vaccinations

Buncombe County residents age 75 years and older can register for Covid-19 vaccinations online at www.buncombeready.org.

Appointments can also be made by calling (828) 250-5000, Monday-Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. To help residents stay safe at home and prevent the spread of Covid-19, there is no in-person appointment scheduling.

As long as vaccine supply is available, appointments will be available for this demographic. If you are not in this age group, please refer to covid19.ncdhhs.gov for information regarding the future phases.

No appointment, no vaccination

Vaccine supply is extremely limited during the first phases of the vaccination effort. For this reason, you must have an appointment to get a Covid-19 vaccination in Buncombe County at this time.

When making your appointment, you will receive information on where and when to arrive for your vaccine. In order to maintain a steady flow of appointments and a safe environment, please arrive at your scheduled time.

Remember, two Covid-19 shots are necessary to build up immunity and we have a plan to help everyone get both doses. The second shot will come 3-4 weeks after the first. It is important to get two doses of the same vaccine.

The vaccine is free to everyone, even if you don’t have health insurance. While there is a small administrative fee covered by insurance, cost will not be a barrier to your Covid-19 immunization.

Your ability to get a vaccine is not impacted by your citizenship status and there is not an ID requirement. You (or a legal guardian) will need to sign a consent form to get the vaccine when you arrive. Language services will be available on site.

Please plan for safe transportation to the immunization site. Drivers and riders should wear masks and social distance to the extent possible. Please wear a mask to the immunization site.

How to help

As the County moves through the phases of the vaccination process, residents are asked to be patient. The County can only schedule appointments based on the amount of vaccine shipped to our county. Please continue to practice the 3Ws and limit your exposure to others as much as possible. It will take all of us practicing the 3Ws with the vaccine, to crush Covid-19.

Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County Public Health Director, emphasizes the bigger picture of the pandemic response and says, “It is important for everyone in Buncombe County to continue following the public health guidance as we move through the subsequent phases of the vaccination plan. Full implementation of the Covid-19 vaccine plan is expected to take months, so we encourage residents to continue to follow all protective measures like wearing a face covering, maintaining physical distance from others, and avoiding gatherings. We are working as hard as we can given vaccine supply limitations to get vaccine into our community.”

Register for Covid-19 testing or vaccinations at www.buncombeready.org. For more information, please visit covid19.ncdhhs.gov.