Vaccine Eligibility Expanded for Georgians
Gov. Kemp announced that beginning Thursday, March 25, all adults are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Georgia. Here are more details on the who, where and how.
Beginning Thursday, March 25, all Georgia residents over the age of 16 are eligible to receive a COVID-29 vaccine. The news comes as the state receives 450,000 doses; Gov. Kemp suggests this is Georgia’s “ticket back to normal.”
“As you all know, this is our ticket back to normal,” said Gov. Kemp. “And we’re getting getting closer to that point every single day. So again, I want to encourage you to go ahead and sign up today and be ready for the expanded eligibility on Thursday.”
The news of expanded eligibility comes just several days after it was announced that adults 55-years-young and older were eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Eligible adults are anyone over the age of 16 who lives, works and/or is a student in Georgia.
“… (A)ccording to the CDC website, Georgia has been shipped the second fewest number of doses per 100,000 residents out of all 50 states,” Kemp said. “We must always do better in getting shots in the arms. There’s no doubt about that. But we are also 49th out of 50 states in vaccines shipped to us by the federal government per 100,000 residents.” Even still, it was reported that although the Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency opened Savannah’s first mass vaccination drive-through clinic on the Gulfstream Aerospace campus on March 17, opening day drew only 238 of the 1,100 people the facility is capable of processing in one day. The hope is that by expanding eligibility, increasing awareness of that eligibility, and continuing to make the process as easy as possible, that more folks will received the vaccine.
But first, eligible adults (ages 16-18 are only eligible for Pfizer, 18+ are eligible of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) must register for an appointment at a designated site. Georgia residents can expect a shortage of appointments and overcrowded wait-lists, however, there are a number of strategies and alternatives to navigate the vaccination process.
Eligible adults in the Coastal Health District can register:
Georgia Department of Public Health: https://www.gachd.org/vaccine/
Registration is only available up to eight days in advance, and time slots generally fill up quickly once a new date becomes available. Registrants can check back to the page frequently or refresh the page as appointments at one’s preferred vaccination site open up as a result of cancellations.
State-run mass vaccination sites: https://myvaccinegeorgia.com/
Appointments can be made through the pre-registration portal at the above line, or by directly calling one of the eight mass-vaccination sites of your choice. The Savannah mass-vaccination clinic is located at Gulfstream Aerospace at 2 Innovation Drive, Savannah, GA 31408, and registrants can call 844-276-2906 to make an appointment (or click here).
Book an appointment with CVS: https://www.cvs.com/vaccine/intake/store/covid-screener/covid-qns
Vaccines are administered at participating CVS locations and are free of charge, compliant with the federal vaccination program. It should be noted that as of Wednesday, March 24 a.m., Savannah area appointments are fully booked, but interested registrants can check back frequently for openings. CVS has requested that all registrants use the portal and do not call individual locations to try to schedule an appointment.
Book and appointment with Kroger: https://www.kroger.com/rx/covid-eligibility
A series of prompts will determine if a registrant is eligible for the vaccine, so please, wait until you are eligible (beginning March 25) to register. Registrants can book an appointment at their local Kroger.
*College students should contact their respective schools to learn more about vaccination programs.
Other links:
Walgreens: https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302
Sam’s Club: https://www.samsclub.com/pharmacy (click “Learn More” under “Vaccine eligibility and COVID-19 insights” to verify eligibility and proceed with booking an appointment)
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, check out our article “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” with local Principal Investigator, Meridian Clinical Research, Dr. Paul Bradley or visit dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
