COVID-19 vaccine appointments available: Here’s what you need to know

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the race to vaccinate, Channel 9 is constantly searching for available appointments that you can take advantage of.

There were dozens of appointments across the Charlotte metro area Tuesday morning, but they filled up fast.

County-by-county guide: Here’s when, where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine

The county is working with StarMed to vaccinate people at Bojangles Coliseum and at their clinic in west Charlotte on Tuckaseegee Road.

The big take away: You may need to register for the vaccine before you become eligible. That’s because CVS just started booking appointments in Mecklenburg and Union counties on Saturday. They are already full in both Charlotte and Monroe.

It is the same story at Walgreens. The pharmacy opened up dozens of slots across four counties, and all of those appointments are gone.

ALSO READ: This website will let you know if a COVID-19 vaccine is available nearby

StarMed opened up appointments for Group 4A, which becomes eligible to get vaccinated on March 17. That group includes people ages 16 and over with at least one underlying medical condition and residents in some congregate living settings like shelters and jails.

The appointments are available for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the StarMed on Tuckaseegee Road.

A representative of StarMed told Eyewitness News Reporter Joe Bruno that Group 4 members can select “frontline essential worker” when registering for an appointment. StarMed is working to add Group 4 as an option for online registration.

>> Click here to make an appointment.

With those appointments going quickly, experts say you shouldn’t be picky about which vaccine you receive.

Many people are eager to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine because it requires just one shot, but Moderna and Pfizer are more effective.

“It was tested at a different time and that was after some of the viral variants that we’re worried about had emerged, and so we don’t actually know in head-to-head fashion if the mRNA vaccines would have done any better in that landscape,” Duke Infectious Diseases Professor Dr. Thomas Holland said.

In a statement, the state recommends you get the first vaccine that is offered to you.