All GA Mass Vaccine Sites Will Shift To J&J, Pfizer 2nd Dose Only

GEORGIA — The first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will only be offered at Georgia's eight open mass vaccination sites through the end of the month before those sites are set to close their doors May 21.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS), Georgia Department of Public Health and Gov. Brian Kemp announced the change Monday. Starting May 1, the eight sites will shift to offer only the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and Pfizer second doses until they close.

First doses of the Pfizer vaccine will not be administered at these sites after April 30, and all eight sites will close May 21 due to a decrease in demand at these sites. The ninth GEMA/HS mass vaccination site in Albany closed in March.

The eight sites are:

• Macon Farmers Market: Bibb County, 2055 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon
• Delta Air Museum: Fulton County, 1220 Woolman Place SW, Hapeville
• Habersham County Fairgrounds: Habersham County, 4235 Toccoa Highway Clarkesville
• LakePoint Sports Complex: Bartow County, 261 Stars Way, Emerson
• Gulfstream Aerospace: Chatham County, 2 Innovation Drive, Savannah
• Columbus Civic Center: Muscogee County, 1 Lumpkin Blvd, Columbus
• Waycross Mall: Ware County, 2215 Memorial Drive, Waycross
• Sandersville Word of Life Church: Washington County, 1214 S. Harris Street, Sandersville

"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," GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings said in a press release. "This transition [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."

A federal committee voted Friday to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lift the pause on the J&J single-dose coronavirus vaccine that officials in Georgia had put on hold in mid-April after rare cases of blood clots emerged in some people who had taken the vaccine.

DPH officials also announced Friday — in conjunction with the federal committee's recommendation — that Georgia would resume administering the J&J 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," Kemp said in the release. "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."

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia DPH, said the state department will work with local providers, community leaders, nonprofits, businesses, local public health offices and others to use the first-dose Pfizer vaccines "quickly and efficiently."

"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," Toomey said.

To schedule a vaccine appointment or find a state-operated mass vaccination site available for walk-up vaccinations, visit the state vaccine registration website here. To schedule a vaccine appointment at a local public health department, visit the DPH's website here.