"Georgia ranks last in Covid vaccinations and first in voter suppression."
https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/georgia-last-among-states-in-key-vaccination-category/JIXR2GX7MZEJVFFBU2VWBTMTJY/Georgia is vaccinating people at a slower pace than any U.S. state, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Slightly less than 30,000 doses per every 100,000 Georgia adults have been administered as of Thursday, the data show. Alaska, which is first among states, has nearly twice that vaccination rate. New Mexico is not far behind.
And Georgia has consistently been near the bottom since federal officials began posting vaccination data.
In response, Gov. Brian Kemp has repeatedly criticized news coverage of the vaccination rate, citing other figures he says are more important, such as 66% of Georgians over the age of 65 have received at least one vaccine shot, above the national average of 60%.
He also has blamed supply shortages. Yet Georgia has been shipped hundreds of thousands more doses than it has administered.
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After the age limit went down to 55+, I found a Pfizer location about 20 miles from me and went there for my first shot yesterday. There was little available in my own town, and none for Pfizer, but I didn't have to go very far to find it.
The thing is, I knew how to go online to look for it and sign up. Also, a short drive out of town was not a difficult hurdle for me, though it would be for some. Anyone trying to find useful information at our local Health Department web page will find few specifics there on how and where to go for the vaccine. On the other hand, the GA Health Department web site is quite good. It's a shame the local page doesn't link to it.
My vax location was inside a Walgreens and only one person at the pharmacy counter was handling all of the customer service, data entry, and actual vaccinations, so the wait was longer than it should have been with an appointment. But I got it done! Little reaction so far other than a sore arm. My second appointment is already set up for next month.
I don't have a local paper subscription and do not watch much TV, so I have no idea what media coverage and information campaigns may be ongoing. The issue of availability vs demand is also interesting. Is there less interest in rural areas? Is this due to genuine disinterest or is there lack of information / lack of access due to the online signup? My area is fairly rural, but most of my older acquaintances (rural) and most family members, including minor children (urban) are already vaccinated.
Kemp's comments are fairly worthless; I don't trust a thing he says. I'm just relieved to see some hope of return to normalcy on the horizon. The faster everyone is able to be vaccinated the better. I'm hoping that general availability for everyone on May 1 will really get things rolling.