ATLANTA — As COVID-19 vaccine supply increases in the state, Gov. Brian Kemp plans to continue to expand eligibility to Georgians.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, here's a full breakdown of who in Georgia is, or will soon be, eligible to receive the vaccine:
Previously:
Prior to this point, these groups have been eligible to receive the vaccine:
- Healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, laboratory technicians, EMS personnel, environmental services, etc.)
- Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
- Adults aged 65+ and their caregivers
- Law enforcement, firefighters, first responders|
Monday, March 8:
In addition to the groups listed above, the following groups became eligible to receive the COVID vaccine:
- Educators and staff (Pre-K, K-12, DECAL licensed or exempt childcare programs)
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers
- Intellectual Disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 22.
- A developmental disability is a physical or mental impairment that happens before the age of 22, is expected to last a lifetime, and impacts at least three activities of daily living. Activities of daily living include self-care; receptive and expressive language; learning; mobility; self-direction; capacity for independent living; and economic self-sufficiency.
Parents of children with complex medical conditions who are at high risk for COVID complications:
- Malignancies requiring active treatment
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including organ transplant (bone marrow or solid organ) within 2 years
- Critical congenital heart disease
- Asthma (moderate to severe)
- Sickle cell disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity (BMI >95%)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Significant neurologic injury or condition (e.g. hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, traumatic brain injury, congenital anomaly, acute flaccid myelitis) with functional/developmental impairment (e.g. cerebral palsy, developmental disability, prematurity, mitochondrial disease)
- Technology dependence (e.g. BiPAP, trach)
Monday, March 15
The new group of people eligible for the vaccine are the following:
All Georgians 55 and over
Georgians (16 years and older) with the following high-risk health conditions:
- Asthma (moderate to severe)
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibroses
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart conditions
- Immunocompromised state
- Liver disease
- Neurological conditions, like dementia, Parkinson's, ALS
- Overweight and obesity (BMI > 25kg)
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Thalassemia
Tuesday, March 16
- Judges
- Courtroom staff
Those who are not covered under these categories can still register at the Georgia Department of Public Health's MyVaccineGeorgia website for email updates and learn when they will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
According to state officials, those 55 and older who have already registered through the state site will automatically get a notification about their eligibility.
Thursday, March 25
- All Georgians 16 years and older
Gov. Kemp previously said that the state was aiming to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by April. On March 23, he announced that all Georgians 16 years and older would be eligible by March 25.
The state also now has a total of eight mass coronavirus vaccination sites across the state - in Bartow, Bibb, Chatham, Fulton, Habersham, Muscogee, Ware and Washington counties. The mass-vaccination site in Dougherty County closed for lack of demand.
The White House has also announced that Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will be opened as an additional mass vaccination site, which will be operated by FEMA.