Vaccine Eligibility Expands To Over 55 And High-Risk Patients

ATLANTA, GA — Starting next Monday, all Georgians 55 and older and those 16 and older with common high-risk health conditions such as cancer, asthma, hypertension and obesity will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at the Georgia Capitol. He added that he expected vaccines to be available to the rest of Georgians by “early next month.”

"High-risk" health conditions are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its website. Dr. Kathleen Toomey, head of Georgia’s public health department, listed these health conditions as among those that would make Georgians 16 or older eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination starting Monday:

• cancer
• cerebralvascular disease
• asthma
• neurological conditions such as ALS, dementia and Alzheimer's
• chronic kidney disease
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung diseases
• cystic fibrosis
• multiple sclerosis
• diabetes
• Hypertension
• other heart diseases, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy
• HIV and other conditions that compromise immunity
• liver disease
• obesity
• pulmonary fibrosis or lung scarring
• sickle cell disease

A complete list of Georgians currently eligible and who will be eligible on Monday is on the Georgia Department of Public Health's website.

At the beginning of the news conference, Kemp took shots at the latest federal coronavirus relief bill, characterizing it as a “blue state bailout” that is “literally a wish list for California and New York.” He also criticized restrictions against using relief funds to lower taxes or encourage school choice, saying it was a “slap in the face to my fellow Georgians.”