MACON, Ga. — On Wednesday afternoon, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that people 55 and older, and people with high-risk health conditions would be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 15.
Eric Bell is one of many people still waiting to get vaccinated. He hopes he can get it soon with Gov. Kemp's new vaccine qualification expansion, but he is not quite sure if he is eligible.
We took his concerns to Michael Hokanson with the North Central Health District.
Q: If someone is under 55, they're not a first responder or front line worker, but they have high-risk conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, would they qualify to receive the vaccination at this particular time?
A: Yes. An individual does not have to hit every single eligibility requirement to get a vaccine.
Hokanson says as long as you're able to answer 'yes' to any of the eligibility criteria, you should be able to schedule your vaccine.
Some of the high-risk conditions include; having asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, or heart conditions.
Q: Is there any type of proof that you need to bring for any underlying conditions?
A: No. There is no requirement for individuals to show any proof their medical condition.
Q: Is there any assigned location that we have to go to? Or can we go anywhere offering the vaccine?
A: The Moderna vaccine that we use at our site is only approved for those ages 18 and older, so we can not make appointments for those under the age of 18 that fall into the new medical category
Bell says he will schedule his appointment as soon as he's eligible on Monday.
Another important point, according to Hokanson, is anyone ages 16 or 17 with high-risk medical conditions should go to a vaccine site that offers the Pfizer vaccine, like the mass vaccination site in Macon.
Anyone under the age of 16 will not be able to receive the vaccine.
The NCHD covers these 13 counties: Baldwin, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Macon-Bibb, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson.
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