The Fannin County Health Department has begun indefinitely using the Kiwanis Club of Blue Ridge facility as a mass COVID-19 vaccination location after the demand for the vaccine proved too high for the department’s regular facility.
“This came about as a result of demand for the vaccine,” County Nurse Manager Hollye Petty said. “Our clinics that we operate out of everyday are not built for mass vaccination. We’ve been practicing for an event like this for years with the flu drive-thru, and this is just sort of a mass vaccination event becoming a reality.”
According to Pettye, Kiwanis Club members have allowed the health department to use the facility as long as the demand for the vaccine remains so high.
“They’ve allowed us to use this indefinitely until the demand for the vaccine is smaller, which could be awhile,” she said. “They’ve only opened it up through the 1a plus phase as of right now. We’re dependent on the governor on when the next phase is open.”
The Fannin County Health Department is currently administering the Moderna Vaccine, and they’ve seen 60 to 160 vaccinations each day since late December when they began vaccinating.
The only groups currently eligible for vaccination are staff in clinical settings, residents and staff at long-term care facilities who have been unable to get vaccinated and all adults 65 years of age or older and their essential caregivers, and law enforcement and fire personnel.
When Phase 1b rolls out, those eligible will include education faculty and staff, court employees, nuclear power plant employees, air traffic controllers, food processing, grocery workers, transportation, healthcare distribution employees, coroners, correction employees and United States Postal Service employees.
As of Monday, February 1, the North Georgia Health District was no longer scheduling appointments as they were at full capacity with their current vaccine stock committed to existing appointments.
“Right now we are not scheduling first time doses, but we do anticipate that to change very soon,” Pettye said.
Updates regarding vaccination appointments can be found via the North Georgia Health District’s website at www.nghd.org.