Having ranted here previously about the f***ed up mess that is covid-19 vaccination here in Georgia, I thought I should probably share that the 3 of us in category 1a have gotten our first shots. We signed up first with the adjacent county department of public health, since our county was not even on the list. Then we found out that a small, independent pharmacy in our county was making a list, so we signed up there. Checking, checking and rechecking, our county was finally included in the department of public health vaccination program. So we signed up there. Neighbors, friends, acquaintances got shots through a local hospital, Sam’s, Publix. We called, sat in online queues, multiple devices, anything to get on more lists. No joy.
About 5 weeks after vaccines were first available in Georgia, the very first adjacent county department of public health that we had contacted, contacted us. Could we come the following morning to get our first vaccine shots? You betcha! We got our first vaccine shots on February 2. It was even fairly well done — drive through, limited contact, everyone masked. We are scheduled for the second shots on March 2.
We called the independent pharmacy to let them know that we should be removed from their list. They were apparently very pleased that we had called.
Yesterday, February 7, our actual county department of public health called, offering first vaccine shots for today, February 9. So, Georgia, there be vaccine here. You actually can rely on your department of public health to provide vaccines.
Now for the bad news…
There is a county in Georgia that will not receive vaccine for the next 6 months. They had the temerity to actually vaccinate their teachers when they still had vaccine available after the specified 1a category of health care workers plus 65+ yo had been vaccinated. Finally, as of Monday night, this has received national attention. Hopefully my man Joe will suggest that teachers belong in the 1a category. And Elbert county will immediately resume being able to vaccinate their citizens.
Now for the really bad news (at least from my perspective):
Number two son, vice principal in a Georgia high school, has contracted covid-19, along with d-i-l (high school media specialist) and high schooler granddaughter. This is significant for several reasons. First, they did an upgrade of their air handling system between end of school March 2020 and first day of school August 2020. Several $100ks of upgrade. And they purchased decontamination devices that have been utilized in every space, every day since school started. Although masks cannot be required (Georgia, donchaknow), second son and family have worn homemade cloth masks every minute of every day. I know, I made their masks.
So...cloth masks are not enough. Opening schools “safely,” with optimal air handling systems is not enough. This scares the hell out of me! Numbers 1&2 grandkids in Cherokee county don’t have the advantage of updated air handlers, nor do numbers 4-6 in our county.
If you have donated to political candidates, if you can afford it, please donate kn-95 masks to your local school district. Contact the school nurse, s/he will know the best way to maximize your donations.
We must demand that our educators be vaccinated. Now, even before 65+ year olds. Would we give up our vaccinations for them (and our other educator children)? Yes, yes we would. What is it that is absolutely more necessary to get back to “normal” than getting our children and their educators back into the classroom? Other than health care workers and first responders, is there any more deserving group?