Middle Georgia COVID vaccination rates are still well below state, national average
Three weeks ago, President Joe Biden announced a new plan to get more Americans vaccinated which included a vaccine mandate that could impact 100 million people.
While the mandate’s details have yet to be released by Biden’s administration, it could drive up vaccination rates that have slowed since spring.
Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began in late 2020, more than 5 million Georgians have been fully vaccinated, but the state still ranks in the bottom 15 U.S. states for fully vaccinated residents: 54% of Georgians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 45% are fully vaccinated.
Georgia is currently ranked 37th in the country in vaccination rate for first doses. Here is a look at the Peach State compared to other states in the Southeast.
| Location | One-dose rate | Fully vaccinated rate |
U.S. (overall) | 64% | 55% |
| Florida | 67% | 57% |
North Carolina | 59% | 50% |
| South Carolina | 55% | 47% |
| Georgia | 54% | 45% |
| Alabama | 52% | 45% |
| Tennessee | 52% | 45% |
| Louisiana | 52% | 45% |
| Mississippi | 50% | 43% |
Here are the top five most vaccinated states:
| Location | One-dose rate | Fully vaccinated rate |
Vermont | 78% | 69% |
Massachusetts | 77% | 68% |
Hawaii | 77% | 58% |
Connecticut | 76% | 68% |
Rhode Island | 75% | 68% |
One of the major contributing factors to the state’s flagging vaccination rate is the 12-17 age group: only 31% of Georgia teens are fully vaccinated, and 44% have received one dose.
In the 18-64 age group, 63% have received at least one dose and 51% are fully vaccinated. Georgians aged 65+ are currently at 94% with at least one dose and 82% fully vaccinated.
The current seven-day average doses being administered per day in Georgia is nearly 28,000 per day. On Monday, just 116 new doses were given out. Last week’s low was 113 on Sept. 21 but on Sept. 22 more than 71,000 new doses were administered. This is the most in a single day since Sept. 15 when 163,554 doses were administered.
Middle Georgia vaccination rates
According to data from the state health department, most Middle Georgia counties have lower vaccination rates that the Georgia average. Only Twiggs County (which has just over 8,000 residents) and Wilkinson County (almost 9,000 people) have rates over 50%. In Bibb County, 41% of residents are fully vaccinated.
Here is a look at the vaccination rates in local counties. The North Central Health District, which manages health departments in 13 Middle Georgia counties, noted 40% of people are fully vaccinated across the district.
| Location | One-dose rate | Fully vaccinated rate |
| Twiggs | 56% | 48% |
| Wilkinson | 53% | 47% |
| Peach | 48% | 41% |
| Bibb | 47% | 41% |
| Monroe | 47% | 41% |
| Jones | 46% | 40% |
| Houston | 46% | 41% |
| Laurens | 46% | 40% |
| Baldwin | 45% | 40% |
| Putnam | 45% | 40% |
| Crawford | 40% | 34% |
| Bleckley | 38% | 33% |