ATLANTA — Emory Healthcare has set up a page where patients in its network eligible under Phase 1A of Georgia's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan can request an appointment and get onto a waitlist.
Earlier this month the state moved to expand eligibility for the vaccine, after the initial rollout prioritized healthcare workers but ran into unanticipated reluctance by rural healthcare workers to take the vaccine.
That made all adults 65 and older, as well as law enforcement and first responders, eligible to receive the vaccine, and created a flood of new demand.
Public health departments, hospitals and clinics and pharmacies have been ramping up their ability to get doses to people since.
Emory's vaccination appointment request form targets 65-and-older patients, asking them to put in their basic information like name and birthdate, as well as occupation.
Those who complete the appointment request, the provider's website says, will be placed on the waitlist "which we will work on in a first-come, first-served process."
"Due to the high demand for the vaccine, it may take time (days or weeks, depending on vaccine supply) before contacting you with appointment information," the form notes.
The healthcare provider asks those interested in receiving the vaccine to "please check this page regularly."
"The number of vaccination appointments we can offer will depend on the number of vaccines we receive," the provider notes. "With limited supplies, we cannot guarantee an appointment and encourage you to check other vaccination resources on the Georgia Department of Public Health's (DPH) website. Getting the vaccine is much more important than where you get the vaccine."