MACON, Ga. — According to Yale Medicine, the newest COVID variant EG.5 is infecting more people than any other strain of COVID. Infection disease specialist from Piedmont Macon, Dr. Jennifer Hoffman, says a vaccination should be here sooner than you think.
"The newest booster that we're expecting probably in the next two weeks or so, should be a good match against that," Hoffman said.
The World Health Organization says countries should monitor the strain more closely because any further mutation could make it more contagious or severe.
Hoffman says people should consider themselves vulnerable to re-infection even after the latest vaccination.
"People who are vulnerable to severe disease, which is generally people who are over 65, people who are immunocompromised, you know, you're on steroids, you're on another immunosuppressive med. Or you have other chronic conditions, you know, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, things like that. Those people may want to think about taking additional precautions," Hoffman said.
Hoffman says the newest vaccination is going to protect against the newest variants. She says approval should happen within the next two weeks.
Michael Hokanson with the North Central Health District says even after FDA approval, it will take some time before it's available to central Georgians.
"Have the approval pushed down from state department of public health and then of course there is the aspect of logistics for getting the physical vaccine from wherever it's being distributed from to the local level," Hokanson said.
In May of this year, the federal COVID-19 emergency declaration ended. Federal reimbursements for COVID-19 vaccinations and testing were supposed to end. Hokanson says the state is picking up the cost for now.
"Right now, if someone were to walk into one of our health departments, today, they could get vaccinated no out-of-pocket cost," Hokanson said.
In Georgia, there have been over 9,500 confirmed cases over the past two weeks. That's nearly 700 a day. Hoffman says Piedmont Macon currently has 15 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That's nowhere near the highest they saw more than a year ago.
Hoffman and Hokanson encourage central Georgia to get tested, vaccinated and protect themselves and their surroundings.