N.C. Department of Public Safety, including its divisions of Emergency Management and the N.C. National Guard, are actively planning and coordinating with N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to create options for how Guard personnel may augment existing vaccination resources.
The North Carolina National Guard mobilized approximately 50 personnel on January 5th and 6th in support of the anticipated demand requests from state partners and county health departments.
Some of the planned activities include logistics planning, command and control center support, and vaccination teams that will be available to support state efforts and fellow Guard personnel.
Currently the logistics and command and control personnel will be assigned to work with DPS’ Division of Emergency Management’s Regional Coordination Centers in Kinston, Butner and Concord. The vaccination teams will be mobile with time and locations still under development by DPS and DHHS.
The NC Guard will be administering the COVID-19 vaccine over the next weeks, on a voluntary basis, to the Guardsmen supporting the state’s COVID-19 response.
From March 6, 2020 to July 31, 2020, the NCNG had 940 service members on duty supporting the NC DHHS and DPS COVID-19 response. Their missions were PPE distribution, COVID-19 testing, food distribution, cyber support and warehouse management and operations.
The Guard ceased COVID-19 support in late July 2020 and restarted their COVID-19 support on Sept. 23, 2020 with approx. 180 personnel providing food bank and COVID-19 testing support.