A Rural County in Georgia Vaccinated Teachers. The State Suspended Vaccine Shipments to Punish Them.

[babylonsister]

Deplorable.

https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2021/01/a-rural-county-in-georgia-vaccinated-teachers-the-state-suspended-vaccine-shipments-to-punish-them/

23 hours ago
A Rural County in Georgia Vaccinated Teachers. The State Suspended Vaccine Shipments to Punish Them.
Experts question the state’s decision.
Kiera Butler


In most places in the United States, teachers don’t yet qualify for COVID-19 vaccines. But one county in rural Georgia decided several weeks ago that its educators deserved early protection from the coronavirus—and now will face stiff consequences as a result.

Bucking designated priority group orders from the Georgia Department of Public Health, officials in Elbert County allowed teachers to be vaccinated at the same time as senior citizens over the age of 65. The county, which is in the northeast corner of Georgia, opened schools for in-person learning in the fall. Elbert County officials explained to the Atlanta Journal Constitution that many local students lack internet required for remote learning, and some rely on schools for food. The teachers are “seeing it, they’re facing it every day, a lot of times with 20 kids in their classroom,” Elbert County School District superintendent Jon Jarvis told the Atlanta Journal Constitution earlier this week.

But yesterday, Elbert County got word from the Georgia Department of Public Health that it would be punished for flouting the guidelines. The state plans to suspend all vaccine shipments to Elbert County for six months. According to Georgia DPH spokesperson Nancy Nydam, the state will not resume shipments to Elbert County until late July. “It is critical that DPH maintains the highest standards for vaccine accountability to ensure all federal and state requirements are adhered to by all parties, and vaccine is administered efficiently and equitably,” Nydam wrote to me in an email.

That decision doesn’t sit right with Peter Hotez, a vaccinologist, pediatrician, and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “I think it’s really important that we stop punishing groups or individuals for vaccinating those outside state or [national] COVID-19 vaccination guidelines,” he wrote to me in an email. He wrote that the guidelines aren’t laws, and that they were proposed “without a full understanding of our depleted health system for administering adult vaccinations.” He added that the guidelines “mostly serve as a barrier or hindrance to vaccinations rather than their intended purpose.”

more...

https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2021/01/a-rural-county-in-georgia-vaccinated-teachers-the-state-suspended-vaccine-shipments-to-punish-them/

[Doreen]

1. I am sure the uppity up politicians who got them before anyone else

aren't getting punished. Geez, let's see how many people the state of Georgia can kill because the teachers were trying to not die or kill the children and their families. What a bunch of ugly f***s.

[idahoblue]

2. What??

My health district in Idaho is finished vaccinating teachers, next week will begin those over 65. Our teachers were in the first wave.

[Crunchy Frog]

3. They should send the feds into the county with vaccines. Override the state government.

This is too important to be vindictive about.

[LizBeth]

4. I am curious abut the second shot. Did I miss it in the article? I wonder if they are being denied.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. Insanity is in the air. WTF is wrong with these people?

[Aristus]

6. Keep it classy, Deliverance country...

[brooklynite]

7. Sorry, but I'm standing with the Georgia Dept of Public Health on this...

First, let's be honest. Georgia isn't PUNISHING Elbert County Medical Center for vaccinating teachers (MotherJones' skewed interpretation); they're suspending them for not following the rules that everyone else is expected to follow. I understand the merits behind prioritizing teachers, but that's not the State's priority system, giving the finite supply of vaccines. If every locality gets to make their own decision on who deserves priority, what would stop a vax site in a more conservative area from deciding that Church leaders were the most vital people needing vaccinations?

DPH Suspends Provider From COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Atlanta – On Jan. 27, 2021, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) notified The Medical Center of Elberton that it would be suspended from the COVID-19 Vaccination Program in Georgia. The suspension became effective immediately for a term of six months, ending July 27, 2021. The suspension is for The Medical Center of Elberton only. Five other vaccine providers in Elbert County, including the Elbert County Health Department, will continue to receive vaccine.

Currently, the supply of COVID-19 vaccine is very limited. In order to address this limited supply and ensure that individuals who are most at risk of infection get the vaccine first, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued recommendations about who should be prioritized to receive the vaccine. These recommendations were made at the federal level and initially included residents and staff of long-term care facilities and healthcare workers. The State of Georgia adopted the ACIP recommendations and then expanded them (Phase 1A+) to include law enforcement, fire personnel and individuals aged 65 and older.

All COVID-19 vaccine providers agree to vaccinate only individuals who fall into the designated priority groups. Again, this is to ensure that the limited supply is going to those who are most at risk. Every Georgian deserves protection from COVID-19, and healthcare providers around the state are working to make that a reality. Until more vaccine becomes available, it is critical that we protect the most vulnerable.

https://dph.georgia.gov/press-releases/2021-01-29/dph-suspends-elbert-county-vaccine-provider