Georgia health officials not expecting huge turnout for COVID-19 vaccinations following eligibility extension

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — In the fight against COVID-19, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has expanded eligibility for the vaccine.

Starting Thursday, Georgians 16 and up will be able to get vaccinated.

But health officials say they’re not expecting a large turnout at the vaccination sites.

The Coastal Health District has over 350,000 people who will be eligible for the vaccine starting Thursday, according to director Dr. Lawton Davis.

“We need this to go away, and the vaccine is the way to get it to go away,” Cheryl Jenkins told Action News Jax minutes after she got her second shot of the vaccine.

Starting Thursday, even more Georgians will be able to get the shot.

“Part of the reason the governor and his team went ahead and opened it up is because we actually have supply of the vaccine out in most locations,” Davis said.

Davis is hoping Georgians take advantage of the expanded eligibility, but he’s not getting his hopes up too high — he blames vaccine hesitancy on the predicted low turnout.

“My best-case scenario is that we are absolutely overwhelmed with people wanting to be vaccinated, but I don’t think that will happen,” Davis said.

In all, there are 13 vaccination sites across the Coastal Health District, including nearby Glynn and Camden counties.

Each week, the health department can do just over 2,000 vaccinations in Glynn County, and about 1,000 in Camden County.

As for Jenkins, despite having initially been hesitant to get the shot, she has no regrets.

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“COVID will make you worse,” she added.

Jenkins hopes everybody takes advantage of the expanded eligibility.

Cox Media Group