Youngsters ages 5 to 11 are now being offered the COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia at the same time as reported cases of the virus remain at a minimum in Fannin County.
Jennifer King of the North Georgia Health District said in a statement released Friday, November 5, that local health departments, including the Fannin County Health Department, were to begin offering Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. Appointments are not needed.
Like the adult vaccines, the pediatric vaccine is free and is administered during normal health department hours.
Suzanne Davenport of Southern Drug Company in Blue Ridge said she also has a supply of the Pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. They are administered on a walk-in basis.
Steven Miracle of Georgia Mountains Health said, “The prevalence of COVID-19 in our county is lower than it was just a few months ago. However, we are coming into the winter months when conditions for spread are high. Many of us remember what it was like last winter, we don’t want to experience that again.
“We now have a proven vaccine to protect us from this killer virus. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the protection provided by the COVID vaccine,” Miracle said.
Georgia Mountains Health also has the Pfizer vaccine for children five and older. For children between the ages 5 and 12, the vaccine is one-third the dose given to adults. It is a two-dose regimen with the second dose given 21 days after the first, Miracle said.
Parents wanting their children to be vaccinated should call Georgia Mountains Health for an appointment.
Miracle also encourages everyone to get a flu shot this year.
The actions come as a result of the expansion of Pfizer’s Emergency Use Authorization, and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).
The vaccine news comes at the same time reports continue to show few new, positive cases of COVID-19 in Fannin County and at the local school system.
According to last week’s DPH figures, 37 positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Fannin County during the two-week period ending November 5. The previous two weeks saw 28 cases reported.
So far, the county has recorded 3,196 cases since reporting began.
Minimal numbers were also reported by the Fannin County School System for the week ending Thursday, November 5. Those show three students among the system’s 2,800 testing positive and one teacher among the system’s 475 staff personnel reporting a positive test result.