The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss updated COVID-19 boosters for children 5 to 11, as well as testing and treatment options and annual flu shots.
An updated COVID-19 booster is now available for everyone ages 5 and older to protect against the latest COVID-19 variants. As of early October, these Omicron variants make up nearly 80% of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina. Children are vulnerable to COVID-19 and long-term complications just like everyone else. Staying up to date on vaccines and boosters is the best way to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the virus.
Topics will include the following:
- Updated COVID-19 boosters for the whole family, including children ages 5 and older
- COVID-19 testing and treatments
- The impacts of long COVID on North Carolinians, including children
- How to prepare for seasonal illness with the annual flu shot
NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer and State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson will moderate the event. Guests will include Dr. John Baratta, founder and co-director of the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic and Dr. LaQuoia Johnson, pharmacist consultant for the CDC Foundation and NCDHHS’s Public Health Preparedness and Response branch.
The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS social media accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event includes a tele-town hall that invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions to help ensure everyone who is interested can participate. People can dial (855) 756-7520 Ext. 86995# to access the event.
NCDHHS fireside chats and tele-town halls are part of the state’s ongoing public engagement to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to timely information, resources and COVID-19 vaccines.
The NCDHHS social media platforms will host the livestream on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Visit the channel of your choice to watch the event, which will begin streaming at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18.