Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) has launched a COVID-19 wait list for individuals in the first two phases of the state’s vaccination priority list: adults 65 and older and all health care workers. Individuals can sign up for the wait list by calling (828) 250-5000 or by going to www.buncombeready.org. As vaccines are received from the state, representatives from the Ready Team will contact individuals on the wait list via phone and email to schedule their appointments. This is a different process from scheduling appointments to date, and BCHHS will no longer open up appointments for direct scheduling by the public.
Vaccine supplies remain much lower than demand, so wait list opportunities are only available at this time to those active groups identified by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). As new phases become active, those wait lists will be opened up. View the phases here: https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/vaccines/NCDHHS-Vaccine-Infographic.pdf. While Buncombe County has bolstered its web and phone infrastructure, we anticipate that phone and web traffic to be heavy, and we ask the community to continue to be patient.
Vaccine supplies are distributed weekly from the state and are currently very limited. More appointments will be added as vaccines become available. As we move through the wait list, our staff will make two attempts to reach individuals using the contact information on the wait list registration. If individuals cannot be reached after first attempt, they will remain in their position on the list and a second attempt will be made as appointments remain available or in the event appointments fill, when additional appointments are available. The second attempt may not occur on the same day if appointments fill completely. For planning purposes, individuals will receive a call from the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095. If an individual misses their call, they can call (828) 250-5000 with their wait list number provided in the voicemail or email, and if an appointment is available, it will be scheduled. After two unsuccessful attempts, individuals lose their position on the waitlist and will be moved to the end of the waitlist for available appointments. Please know demand is incredibly high, and staff is working to contact those who sign up as quickly as possible.
Please be sure contact information is accurate before submitting. Individuals should not sign up for the waitlist more than once.
Second dose information
Individuals who received their vaccines prior to Jan. 20 will be contacted individually by a Ready Team member with next steps including date, time and location of next dose. Those who receive their vaccines on or after Jan. 20 will receive a card with next steps at the time of their first vaccination. Persons in need of a second dose do not need to go online or call to schedule that appointment.
COVID-19 testing is still widely available and can be accessed at www.buncombeready.org.