ATLANTA — As the state of Georgia continues its rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia’s Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey spoke Tuesday morning.
The state remains in Phase 1A+ of the administration process, which includes healthcare workers, residents, and staff at long-term care facilities, adults 65 and older and their caregivers - where applicable, law enforcement, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, and first responders.
Kemp says there has been discussion about when educators, school staff and people with developmental disabilities will be eligible for the vaccine, but he can’t give a definite answer on when that will be possible.
“I hear your concerns and I share your hope that we can vaccinate these deserving Georgians soon,” he said. “The truth is we do not have enough vaccines for those most at-risk of serious complications or death from this virus.”
Kemp says the state is only allocated 120,000 doses on vaccines a week and the state hasn’t been informed by the federal government that they’ll be given more than what they’re getting now in the future.
“Our allocation is not very large for a state of our size,” Toomey said.
“With nearly 530,000 Georgians vaccinated, we have not yet reached the halfway mark to the current A1+ population,” echoed Kemp.
He says he doesn’t anticipate they’ll have more soon too.
“We plan for increased supply, whenever that day may come,” he said.
He previously said in a briefing that starting yesterday, the state would no longer have to assign 40,000 of its weekly doses directly to nursing homes. Their supplies are now adequate that the full 120,000 doses a week will be available to everyone in group 1A+.
Kemps says the state is “working around the clock to prepare for the next phase of vaccine distribution.”
That next phase will streamline the administration process and authorize more people, like dentists, pharmacists and EMTs to administer the vaccine.
Toomey says it may be as late as April before the vaccine will be “ramped up” to the point where they’ll get more doses.
“We’re hoping it will be sooner,” she said.
Although the vaccine is in Georgia and more people are getting the shot each day, the governor said now is not the time to become complacent. He also reiterated that hospitals can't handle another surge.
He says Georgians must continue “to do the right thing” and keep hand washing, social distancing, wearing masks, and following state and CDC guidelines.
Toomey emphasized it is important to clear rumors going around about the COVID vaccine.
“There’s no evidence Hank Aaron passed away from the COVID shot,” she said.
There’s still hesitancy around getting the vaccine from people all over the state. Toomey says rumors like these dissuade the most vulnerable people from getting vaccinated.
“It’s important that we quell these kinds of rumors,” she said. “I don’t want people to get dissuaded from getting that vaccine when they are called by their providers.”
Kemp also thanked frontline workers and people employed at health districts across Georgia for their service to the state over the past months.
“I’m asking Georgians to be patient with them,” he said.