CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With plans to move forward into Group 3 of vaccinations in North Carolina, there are now concerns that some may be able to jump the line.
On Feb. 24, vaccine providers will start prioritizing teachers and then move into other front-line essential workers on March 10. This change comes while thousands of people 65 and older are still on a waitlist or struggling to get an appointment
In less than two weeks, 240,000 more people who work in child care or school settings in North Carolina will be eligible to get vaccinated.
“This is great news but it’s also very challenging for us who are providing vaccines,” Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County health director, said.
It’s challenging because the supply isn't growing to keep up with that pace.
“Moving to the next phase is good news. The challenge continues to be the limited supply of vaccine,” Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Child care and school employees will be prioritized first, and some are concerned younger teachers will jump ahead of older North Carolinians who haven’t been able to get vaccinated yet.
“You need to finish what you start. So, if you have group 2, group 2 needs to be done,” said Karen Chapman Steele, who finally got an appointment in March, after Group 3 starts.
Chapman Steele was a teacher and understands why they want to be vaccinated, but doesn't think it should be at the expense of those at higher risk.
“Too many people will not have gotten the shot that need to get the shot. They will be confused," she said. "You've got a lot of older people who need to be told where, when, why, what, how, and people get overlooked all the time. There is no reason for anyone to be overlooked with this."
All other front-line essential workers who fall under Group 3 will be eligible on March 10. That includes police officers, post office employees and grocery store workers.
Ensuring people in Group 3 don't jump ahead of those in Groups 1 and 2 will be difficult. It's up to local vaccine providers to manage.
Atrium Health plans to continue holding events for specific populations.
“We're very targeted in our approach to the populations that we are serving, with a focus on the underserved. And we're excited to continue that approach and get shots in arms for our essential workers here soon,” Dr. Scott Rissmiller with Atrium Health, said.
In Caldwell County, for two weeks, they'll only give first doses to people working in a school setting. Then return to groups 1, 2 and 3.
In Mecklenburg County, they're opening more appointments Friday and any on or after the 24th will be available to educators. But they said they'll be holding events focused on those 65 and older.
“We want individuals in our community to understand why some have been prioritized over others for the vaccine and try to honor that," Harris said.
Verifying who someone works for and if it’s essential is a whole other challenge. Honesty will be the best policy.
“We can spend our time getting out as much vaccine as we can, or we can spend our time policing this. We are asking the right questions,” Harris said.
The state hoping partnerships will make it easier to identify who qualifies.
“As we work with frontline essential workers, obviously they have an employer and that allows for a partnership between the vaccine providers and the employer who can identify their employees,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
This weekend, there are several mass vaccination clinics scheduled. Anyone who got the first dose at the Charlotte Motor Speedway already has an appointment to get the second dose this weekend. Novant Health is holding an event at the Spectrum Center aimed at underserved communities and CMS teachers 65 and older.
Have a relative or friend in another state and want to know when they can get vaccinated? Visit NBC News' Plan Your Vaccine site to find out about each state's vaccine rollout plan.