Georgia's mass vaccination sites to shift to Johnson & Johnson shots in May
Georgians line in up in their cars at the mass vaccination site in Clarksville.
ATLANTA - Georgia’s eight mass vaccination sites will start to phase out the use of the Pfizer vaccine starting at the end of the month, according to Gov. Brian Kemp.
Starting May 1, those sites will no longer be giving out first doses of the Pfizer vaccine but will continue to administer second doses through May 21.
The state will be shifting to the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine after the Georgia Department of Public Health lifted the statewide pause on administering the shots on Monday.
"Our team will now work closely with local providers, community leaders, nonprofits, businesses, local public health offices, and others to utilize those Pfizer first doses quickly and efficiently at the community level," said Dr. Toomey, Commissioner of Georgia DPH. "I continue to urge all Georgians to sign up to get their shot as soon as possible to ensure we protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors from COVID-19."
SEE ALSO: Georgia to lift pause on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
"I greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication of our GEMA/HS team over the last few months in getting the life-saving vaccine administered quickly and efficiently in all parts of our state," said Governor Kemp. "As the vaccine becomes available to more Georgians in their local communities, it is now the state's job to work closely with local providers, private partners, public health districts, and trusted community leaders to encourage more Georgians to get vaccinated. These highly-effective vaccines are our ticket back to normal, and the state stands ready to assist in getting more shots in arms moving forward."
(Courtesy of Johnson & Johnson)
"As supply and availability of the COVID-19 vaccines has dramatically increased across the state, far more Georgians are now able to easily access the vaccine at their local pharmacy, grocery store, or doctor's office," said GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings. "With over 300,000 doses administered at the state sites over the last few months, our highly successful state-operated sites have experienced a notable decrease in demand over the last two weeks. This transition to the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine for the next month allows us to complete the full vaccination cycle for Georgians who received their first Pfizer vaccination at our sites, continue providing COVID-19 vaccination to Georgians who wish to use our sites, and deploy Pfizer first doses previously allocated to GEMA/HS to other local providers across Georgia."
The statewide mass vaccination sites are a partnership between the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and the Governor's Office.
To find the availability and locations of the sites visit myvaccinegeorgia.gov.
To find all the vaccination sites in the state visit https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
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