The Georgia Department of Public Health has opened a hotline for residents who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines and the state’s distribution plan.
While vaccinations to this point have been limited to health care providers and those at long-term care facilities, officials expect to move into the next phase of vaccinations in January.
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Anyone in the state who has questions about the vaccines or their eligibility to receive one can call 888-357-0169.
DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said Monday that residents and staff in long-term care facilities because they show the highest risk of serious infections and deaths.
More than 37% of deaths in Georgia attributed to COVID-19 are among residents in these facilities, even though they represent only 5% of the state’s population.
“We hope with these vaccines we will begin to change those statistics and save lives here, not just in this long-term care facility, but in all of those that are participating with us in this vaccine program,” Toomey said Monday during a new conference at Pruitt Health in Gainesville.
As of Monday, she said 914 providers in the state have enrolled to distribute the vaccine, with at least one in each of Georgia’s 159 counties. The state has received shipments of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which Toomey said are safe and have side effects limited to injection site soreness and fatigue.