Teachers will receive first doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Georgia, officials say
First shipments of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be prioritized for educators when they arrive in Georgia next week, state officials confirmed to McClatchy News.
The more than 83,000 doses will be administered to teachers and staff starting Monday, March 8.
Adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, their caregivers and parents of children who are at high risk of COVID-19 complications will also be eligible to be vaccinated, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The news was cheered by teachers across the state — including special education teacher Cat Kelly — who previously weren’t included in initial phases of the state’s vaccine roll out plan. Eligibility has since been expanded to get needles into the arms of pre-K and K-12 educators statewide.
“I am getting to the point where I’m just so anxious,” Kelly, a teacher in Gwinnett County, told WSB-TV. “I want to know ... when it’s my turn. I am very grateful that we are finally in a tier where we can get some kind of vaccination.”
As of Friday, the state has administered more than 2.2 million doses of available vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — with more than 866,000 residents having received both doses, state health data shows. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine became the third COVID-19 vaccine to be authorized for emergency use in the U.S. last week and, unlike its predecessors, only requires one dose.
The shot has an overall efficacy rate of about 66% in preventing moderate to severe coronavirus infection and was found in clinical trials to prevent deaths and hospitalizations. It’s also more easily distributed because the vaccine can be stored for up to three months at regular temperatures.
Pfizer and Moderna have a 95% efficacy rate against symptomatic COVID-19 and require two doses separated by a few weeks. Both require “require ultra cold refrigeration” when stored, McClatchy News reported.
In middle Georgia, a Macon hospital has already teamed up with the Bibb County School District to get teachers and staff vaccinated next week, McClatchy News reported. Atrium Navicent Health will begin distributing doses on March 13, by appointment. only.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has faced increasing pressure from educators to be included in early rounds of coronavirus vaccinations. On Wednesday, he said that giving teachers first dibs on the new Johnson & Johnson shot would help expedite a “full, five days a week return to the classroom.”
“Every student belongs in the classroom ... full-time as soon as possible,” Kemp, a Republican, said at a news conference. “That is my expectation to moving forward, and we look forward to partnering with local [school] districts to ensure that this happens very quickly.”
An early order for the Johnson & Johnson vaccines was placed Thursday and shipments are set to arrive Monday and Tuesday, officials said.
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 12:46 PM.