GA COVID Vaccines Available To 55 And Older, Medically Vulnerable

GEORGIA — Any Georgian 55 and older — as well as any Georgian 16 or older with certain serious medical conditions — is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Those 55 and older don’t need to have a qualifying health condition to receive the vaccine. Everyone in that age group is eligible.

Those 16 and older with “high-risk” health conditions as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also eligible. Those conditions include asthma, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, COPD, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hypertension, various heart conditions, HIV and other conditions that compromise immunity, liver disease, neurologic conditions, obesity, pregnancy, pulmonary fibrosis, sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday that Georgia would broaden eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to include both groups. He also said that he expected vaccines to be available to the rest of Georgians by "early next month."

All healthcare workers, teachers and first responders are already eligible. For more information on scheduling your vaccination and seeing if you’re eligible as well, visit Patch’s guide to COVID-19 vaccinations in Georgia.

RELATED: GA Coronavirus Vaccine: Where To Get It, How To Schedule It

If you're eligible for a vaccine, book an appointment using the Georgia Department of Public Health's COVID-19 vaccination website. On it are links to scheduling vaccinations at:

• County health departments
• CVS
• Ingles
• Kroger
• Publix
• U-Save-It
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Georgia's health department also maintains a list on its website of all other facilities and clinics giving COVID-19 vaccinations, listed alphabetically and matched to counties and cities. To find one near you, click here.

Have questions? Call Georgia's vaccine-scheduling resource line at 888-457-0186. The line operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.