Teachers set to be eligible for virus vaccine

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  • The Hartwell Sun
    The Hartwell Sun
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Teachers and other school staff are about to be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as the number of inoculations ramps up around Hart County and the state.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced last Thursday, Feb. 25 that starting March 8 COVID-19 vaccines would be available for pre-K and K-12 school teachers and staff, as well as adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and parents of children who have complex medical conditions.
Kemp cited encouraging signs of increasing vaccine production from the Biden administration and the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine that has won high safety marks from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of his decision.
Hart County Superintendent Jay Floyd told The Sun this week that the school system has already surveyed teachers and school staff regarding who would want to be vaccinated. He said about 50 percent said they would want the vaccine once available.
Floyd said the school system is working with the Hart County Health Department, and said the AgriScience Center on Bowman Highway would be available to use as a vaccination site. He said a plan has not been finalized because it depends on how much vaccine supply is available and when it is received.
“There’s a lot of questions that still have to be answered, but as soon as they give us the ‘go’ we’re ready to go. We’ve got our information in,” Floyd said.
More than 700 vaccines have been administered in Hart County since last week. The Hart County Health Department has been using Flat Shoals Baptist Church in Bowersville as a vaccination site with the goal of vaccinating 100 people per day.
County-wide, that goal was hit on three consecutive days last week as 315 vaccines were administered on Feb. 23, 171 on Feb. 24 and 119 on Feb. 25, according to Department of Public Health data. The data does not differentiate between the number of vaccines administered by the health department and the number given by other providers.
In total, 4,667 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Hart County, with 3,046 folks receiving their first dose and 1,621 receiving their second. The rate of vaccination in Hart County is currently 18,108 per 100,000 people, behind the statewide rate of 19,388 per 100,000 people, according to DPH data. The rate rose steadily, statewide and in Hart County, throughout February.
People seeking appointments can go to District 2 Public Health’s website at phdistrict2.org, or call 1-888-426-5073. To schedule an appointment, patients must meet the tier 1A requirements, which includes folks 65 years old or older and their caregivers, first responders, healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents and staff.
Statewide, 78 percent of 2,633,785 vaccines shipped to more than 1,200 providers  have been administered.
Capitol News Beat Service contributed to this report.