GEORGIA – As Georgia enters the next phase of the coronavirus vaccine launch, the Georgia Department of Public Health is making it easier for the public to find a location with its coronavirus vaccine locator. The tool allows users to search by county for a vaccine supplier in their community and provides the supplier’s location and contact information. This is not a centralized scheduling tool.
Municipal health departments and private providers are included in the locator. Additional locations across the state will be added when providers are ready to deliver the vaccine safely and as vaccine delivery permits. All health departments and most other providers require an appointment to administer the vaccine. Since vaccine supply is limited, providers may not have immediate consultations available.
As of Monday, Georgia has started phase 1A + of vaccine administration. This phase includes:
- Health workers: doctors, nurses, EMS staff, laboratory technicians, environmental services
- Residents and employees of long-term care institutions
- Adults over 65 and their caregivers, as applicable
- Police, firefighters, dispatchers 911 and first aid
The process of administering the COVID-19 vaccine is more complicated than other common vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, and requires providers to have more resources available, including an area where individuals can be monitored for 15 minutes after being vaccinated , according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Many vaccine providers are still vaccinating their own staff and patients, and are not yet open to the public for vaccination.
As Pfizer and Moderna are able to increase vaccine production in the coming weeks, supply should better meet demand for each allocation and administration phase. Until then, providers and the public must be patient as we work together to distribute the vaccine as efficiently and equitably as possible.
All Georgians, including those vaccinated, must continue to follow the basic preventive measures of COVID-19: wear a mask, practice social detachment, wash their hands frequently and follow public health guidelines and the governor’s executive order guidelines .