Starting on Thursday all Georgians ages 16 years and older will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the state Department of Public Health.
Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Wednesday.
More than 3.2 million vaccines have been distributed in Georgia since January, including more than 182,000 in Cobb County.
Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said Tuesday that some vaccine appointments will be opened on Wednesday at her agency’s website for those in the current eligible groups, including people 55 and over, health care workers and first responders.
In a briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Memark said vaccine supplies would be coming to the state by the end of the week, and urged adults to get vaccinated.
“If we had flu vaccines that are this good, that would be awesome,” she said, mentioning the hesitancy of some people to get the vaccine.
She said even if people aren’t feeling symptoms, getting vaccinated can help slow the spread of asymptomatic transmission.
“This is what’s getting us to herd immunity,” Memark said. “We all have to do this together as a community to make this work.
Citizens do not have to get vaccinated in their county of residents. Memark said Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has become an increasingly popular place to get vaccinated (you can book an appointment online here), and has been administering more than 6,000 tests daily.
She said the Georgia Department of Public Health website contains information on “super sites” controlled by the Georgia Emergency Management Association.
While Cobb’s COVID-19 metrics continue to fall, she said the rate of community spread remains high. The current 14-day average of 244 cases per 100,000 people is the lowest it’s been since the fall, but 100 cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread.
Cobb has had more than 72,000 cases since March 2021 and 891 confirmed deaths.
Cobb and Douglas Public Health is continuing to provide free COVID testing at various locations in the county, including Eastwood Baptist Church (1150 Allgood Road). More dates, times, location and sign-up information can be found here.
Related stories
- Cobb to spend $2M to create COVID vaccine call center
- Cobb schools make calendar changes for staff vaccinations
- Cobb COVID death toll surpasses 800; nearly 200 in East Cobb
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