Georgians 16 And Over Eligible For Vaccinations Starting Thursday

ATLANTA, GA — Framing it as “our ticket back to normal,” Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Georgia would open eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations starting Thursday to everyone 16 and older.

Kemp also urged all Georgians who currently are eligible — including those 55 or older, as well as healthcare workers, first responders and educators — to schedule their shots now, even if it means planning a week or two in advance.

“Confirm your spot in line as quickly as possible,” Kemp said during his news conference Tuesday from the Georgia Capitol.

During the news conference, Kemp said that

• More than 1 million seniors — or almost 75 percent of that age group in Georgia — have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
• More than 3.2 million doses have been administered in Georgia so far, or about 81 percent of doses allocated.

Kemp placed blame for Georgia’s low ranking in rolling out the vaccine on the federal government, which he said had shipped fewer doses to the state per 100,000 citizens than all but one other state.

“We must always do better about getting shots in the arms, there’s no doubt about that,” Kemp said. “But we’re also 49th out of 50 states in vaccines shipped to us. The CDC’s own data proves that point.”

Kemp also pointed out national reporting errors that show Georgia having administered “at least 250,000 doses” fewer than the actual number.

Georgia health director Dr. Kathleen Toomey added that while vaccinations will help, “365 unconfirmed cases” of COVID variants have been found so far in Georgia. Most were the UK variant, Toomey said. A handful were the strain from South Africa, and one was the newest variant from Brazil.

“Until we get more vaccinations,” Toomey said, Georgians should continue wearing masks and avoiding gatherings as “our keys to reopening Georgia.”

Watch Gov. Brian Kemp's news conference announcing expanded eligibility on Georgia Public Broacasting's website.

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