Habersham County officials released additional information Thursday evening about the county’s role as host to a mega drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site.
The site at the Habersham County Fairgrounds will be operated by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. It’s one of four sites strategically placed around the state to reach underserved populations in Georgia.
Responding to questions from Now Habersham, County Manager Phil Sutton said: “GEMA is handling overall coordination of the vaccination program with the help of private-sector health care providers to administer vaccinations. GDOT and our Public Works and Building Management Departments are doing the paving and site presentation. This is a team effort with GEMA taking the operational lead. We are supporting there [sic] efforts.”
Sutton did not say when the state first approached the county about using the fairgrounds or how the final decision to host it was reached. He touted the benefits in general terms calling it a “great opportunity for Habersham County and our entire region.”
Habersham County Commissioner Tim Stamey clearly points to one possible benefit: Hosting the site could result in greater vaccine availability for Habersham residents. Stamey serves on the county’s public health department board. He says GEMA is working with public health officials to make sure none of the vaccines are wasted.
“GEMA will remove from the freezers each day the doses to provide for those scheduled. There will always be people who, for whatever reason, cannot make their appointment. According to GEMA and the Governor, shots belong in arms, not in the trash. GEMA will be working with our local health department to vaccinate standby people to prevent waste of vaccine. That reason alone makes this a win for the citizens of Habersham County.”Cl
Sutton, too, clearly sees the mega site as a boon to the county.
“This is a great opportunity for Habersham County and our entire region to receive the benefit of the State’s MEGA vaccination site,” he says.
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How to make an appointment
The sites open Monday, February 22, and will operate weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Each site will have the capacity to vaccinate 1,100 people per day initially, ramping up to 2,000 per day as more vaccine becomes available.
GEMA is using the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are mandatory and are limited to those who meet the state’s phased-in vaccination eligibility criteria.
For more information or to make an appointment, visit https://MyVaccineGeorgia.com.
MORE DETAILS
Habersham to serve as one of four regional COVID-19 vaccination hubs in Georgia
