Middle GA health district in ‘early stages’ of planning for COVID vaccine distribution
A late-August letter from the CDC asked governors to fast-track preparations to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late-October, and an area health district is in early planning stages for distribution.
The letter from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield asked governors to approve permits and licenses for new distribution sites, according to reporting by McClatchy.
“The normal time required to obtain these permits presents a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program,” Redfield wrote. “CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities, and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020.”
The Center for Collaborative Journalism asked the North Central Health District, part of the Georgia health department, about the district’s role in vaccination distribution.
“We, like everyone involved in vaccination, are in the early stages of planning should COVID-19 vaccine be ready for distribution soon,” NCHD spokesman Michael Hokanson told the CCJ. “Locally, we do not yet have any specific details yet on what this will look like. While we have plans in place for mass vaccine distribution, these plans would be foundations for COVID-19 vaccine planning.
“The state office would be the lead agency on planning and our district would coordinate with them on any COVID-19 vaccine activities.”
The accelerated timeline has created concerns that the Trump administration’s timeline is motivated by politics rather than science. Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, told NBC News that receiving information on the vaccine before distribution will be critical.
“I want to see the data,” del Rio said. “I need to show that there is true efficacy and safety.”
University COVID-19 update
Colleges and universities in Middle Georgia have provided regular COVID-19 case updates since the beginning of the fall semester. Here are updates from this week:
Georgia College and State University’s high coronavirus case totals prompted students and staff to hold a “die-in” last week in an effort to secure testing and virtual classroom options. The campus of fewer than 8,000 students has reported 635 cases since June 18. The college reported 69 new COVID-19 cases among students and employees this week.
Mercer University posted an update on tests and cases among its students and faculty/staff Friday. Between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3, 476 tests were performed and 47 students, faculty and staff tested positive: 43 Macon students, two Atlanta students and two Macon faculty/staff. That’s up from 17 positive tests Aug. 20-27.
Wesleyan College is also reporting COVID-19 updates. So far, 20 students, faculty and staff have tested positive.
Middle Georgia State has reported 48 students and eight employees have tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, with 16 students and one employee testing positive between Aug. 24-30.
Middle Georgia coronavirus numbers
Here are the cumulative coronavirus cases and deaths in Middle Georgia counties, according to the Georgia Department of Health’s Friday report. DPH has reviewed thousands of cases dumped into its reporting system by health providers last week, and verified all but a few hundred duplicates. These numbers, according to the health department, are now accurate.
NCHD also announced it would count cases for college students who live on campus in the county where they attend school, rather than in their home counties. Baldwin County, where Georgia College has reported more than 600 COVID-19 cases, jumped from 1,599 confirmed cases last week to 1,765 this Friday.
Bibb 5,486 cumulative cases - 131 deaths
Houston 2,735 - 71
Baldwin 1,765 - 52
Laurens 1,379 - 50
Washington 619 - 6
Monroe 601 - 43
Peach 578 - 18
Jones 475 - 4
Bleckley 375 - 17
Dodge 344 - 7
Wilkinson 295 - 17
Pulaski 238 - 8
Macon 211 - 10
Twiggs 168 - 7
Crawford 154 - 3
The state reported 2,132 new cases across Georgia and 65 new deaths Friday.
Coliseum Health System was treating 22 COVID-19 positive patients Friday and has recorded 81 total coronavirus-related deaths. Navicent Health does not release the number of COVID-19 patients at its Medical Center in Macon.
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 3:34 PM.
