Gov. Kemp Announces Expanded Vaccine Eligibility Starting March 15
Published 8:52 am Thursday, March 11, 2021
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Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations. On March 15, vaccination criteria will expand to include Georgians aged 55 and older and individuals with disabilities and certain medical conditions.
“As we have said from the beginning of this pandemic, we will protect the most vulnerable from severe illness, hospitalization and death, and ensure that Georgians can get back to normal as soon as possible,” said Governor Kemp. “With increased vaccine supply from the federal government, and significant progress made in vaccinating Georgia seniors and other high-risk individuals, this expanded vaccination eligibility will enable more people to get vaccinated over the next few weeks.”
For a complete list of health conditions that qualify for vaccination effective March 15, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
Adding Georgians over the age of 55 and those at high risk to COVID-19 will make vaccines available to categories that account for 92% of deaths due to COVID-19 in Georgia.
Provided supply allows, vaccine eligibility is expected to open to all adults in April.
Over the past 30 days, the state has administered over one million vaccines, and on March 17, a total of nine state mass vaccination sites will be operational. To register for a vaccine at one of these sites, visit MyVaccineGeorgia.com.
Currently the following groups are eligible for the COVID vaccine in Georgia:
- 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
- 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)
Beginning March 15, 2021, the following populations will be eligible for COVID vaccination in Georgia:
- Adults aged 55 and over
- Individuals with disabilities
- Individuals aged 16 years and older with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 16 and older. Conditions include:
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- COPD
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart Conditions
- Immunocompromised State
- Liver Disease
- Neurologic Conditions
- Overweight and Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Thalassemia
