Georgia hasn’t reached herd immunity yet. So why are mass vaccination sites closing?

Georgia will close its mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics later this month due to a significant increase in shot availability across the state and a rapidly declining demand for vaccines.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency announced it would shutter its eight sites, including the one in Macon, on May 21, the date the state’s contract for the sites expires. About 2.7 million Georgians have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and another 3.6 million have received one shot, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard.

In Bibb County, 35,741 residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the state’s dashboard, roughly 23% of the population.

“With over 300,000 doses administered at the state sites over the last few months, our highly successful state-operated sites have experienced a notable decrease in demand over the last two weeks,” said GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings. “As supply and availability of the COVID-19 vaccines has dramatically increased across the state, far more Georgians are now able to easily access the vaccine at their local pharmacy, grocery store, or doctor’s office.”

Michael Hokanson, the spokesperson for the North Central Health District, said it is easier now than ever for Georgians to get a vaccine shot, if they want one. Hokanson added demand was trending down even before the state expanded eligibility to any Georgian aged 16 and older.

“We’re probably at a point where anybody who seriously desired the vaccine has had the opportunity to get it,” he said. “Now we are having to look for ways to reach those who haven’t gotten the vaccine.”

Vaccine hesitancy

Hokanson said there are two main categories of people that state health officials are working to get vaccines to: people who lack the necessary transportation, technology or information and people who might be fearful of the vaccine or are against vaccines in general. He said these challenges aren’t unique.

“With this being such a new vaccine, we’re definitely going to encounter a vaccine hesitancy or outright vaccine dismissal,” Hokanson said. “One of our biggest goals is to at least get the people the information where they can make an informed decision based on facts, not just conjecture or something seen on social media or floating around the internet that really has no basis in reality.”

Hokanson said a lot of the people who were hesitant to get the vaccine might have initially sought out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine before the state temporarily stopped using it because it only requires one shot. But he hopes Georgians recognize the pause to investigate concerns about blood clotting related to the J&J shot shows the review system is working.

“The one option that they were looking into might be completely off the plate, with the pause causing more hesitancy in the community,” Hokanson said. “It shows that the system for reviewing what’s going on in the vaccinated community and seeing these red flags will make sure that the powers that be then pull back on vaccines, look at them and make sure that they’re safe.”

More vaccinations needed for herd immunity

Andy Chen, a professor in the University of Georgia’s health policy and management department, said the decrease in demand for the vaccine is concerning because not enough people have received the vaccine for the state to reach any level of herd immunity.

Reaching herd immunity would require vaccinating 80-90% of the population (and perhaps even a higher percentage). Chen warns of the long term consequences for a community not getting vaccinated, as potential restrictions and mask requirements could continue indefinitely

“There is a pessimistic view that things will not get better until 2025; but even then it isn’t getting better, people are just used to it,” Chen said. “If we continue to see lower rates of vaccination, we might just have to get used to [COVID restrictions]. If we get more people vaccinated we might be able to avoid that outcome which we don’t really like.”

Sites will give J&J shots for now

Hokanson said he would not speculate on potential outcomes but that he does encourage everyone to consider getting vaccinated as it can only help protect the community.

“The more vaccine that is in the community, the more that we have that extra safety net,” Hokanson said. “It is a safety net that is cast over that community when it comes to helping to stop severe outcomes of COVID, helping to stop hospitalizations due to COVID, helping to stop deaths related to COVID.”

As the mass vaccination sites begin to shut down across the state, GEMA announced it would switch to administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Pfizer second dose shots. Gov. Brian Kemp said the role of the state going forward will be to work closely with local communities to get the vaccine to more people.

“As the vaccine becomes available to more Georgians in their local communities, it is now the state’s job to work closely with local providers, private partners, public health districts, and trusted community leaders to encourage more Georgians to get vaccinated,” Kemp said. “These highly-effective vaccines are our ticket back to normal, and the state stands ready to assist in getting more shots in arms moving forward.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM.