Kemp Lays out Protocol for Administering COVID-19 Vaccine

Governor Brian Kemp along with Department of Public Health head Dr. Katherine Toomey held a press conference Tuesday to outline how the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in Georgia once it arrives.  Kemp Statement on Vaccine Distribution

Kemp said the State’s top priority is to deliver the vaccine in a safe, efficient, and coordinated fashion and he thanked the Trump administration for their work in getting the vaccine to market far ahead of schedule.

In outlining how the distribution will work, Dr. Toomey said both the Pfizer and Mederma vaccines will be sent to Georgia but how many has not been clarified.

She said they expect Georgia will only receive about 100,000 doses in the first round.

Those doses she said will be distributed based on ACIP guidelines.

The first round would go to healthcare workers and nursing homes’ residents and staff.  The next round, Toomey said, will go to essential workers and those over the age of 65.

She said it will likely be summer before the vaccines are available to the general public.

When that happens, Toomey said the distribution to the general public will be done based on the protocols they already have in place for flu vaccines, etc.

One concern, however, Toomey said is whether people will be willing to get the second dose, which both the Pfizer and Maderna vaccines require.

She said there may be minor side effects after the initial vaccine that might put people off from getting the second dose.

Kemp noted that because it will be months before the general public will have access to the vaccine, it is important to continue following CDC guidelines.

He also suggested in his remarks that he has no plans to shut the state down if people will continue to follow those guidelines.

Kemp said the first round of COVID vaccines is expected to be in Georgia in the next week to ten days.