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Officials prepare for mass COVID-19 vaccinations
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GRADY COUNTY EMERGENCY Management Agency Director Richard Phillips, right, and Cairo High School Principal Chris Lokey inspect the two portable carports that have been set up in the high school’s student parking lot to accomodate drive-up vaccinations for COVID-19. Phillips says officials are waiting on vaccines to arrive.
County emergency and health officials are preparing for mass vaccination programs here, but a shortage of the COVID-19 vaccine has forced the plans to be placed on hold for now.
In the student parking lot of Cairo High School, portable carports are already in place and ready to shield healthcare workers from the elements as motorists pull through for their shots.
Richard Phillips, director of the Grady County Emergency Management Agency, says people will not have to leave their car to get the shot once the project is underway.
After filling out paperwork while sitting in their car, “they’ll pull under the shed, get the shots, and then pull around and park and wait 15 minutes (to make sure there are no side effects),” says Phillips. “We’ll have two lines running, we’ll be able to vaccinate pretty quick.”
Phillips says he is planning in coordination with local, region and state public health officials.
“This has been in planning for a few months to get all this in place so the state can look at it. They came and checked out everything, looked at the traffic flow and gave it their blessing,” he reports.
A secondary vaccination location will be at the State Farmers Market, if needed, Phillips says.
Once it gets rolling, the shots will likely be given after school hours during weekdays and on Saturdays, he says.
A shortage of available vaccine has put those plans on hold for now.
Archbold Medical Center has also temporarily stopped scheduling future vaccine appointments. Those who had already made an appointment should plan to get their shot unless told otherwise by a hospital representative. Updates on the Archbold vaccine program may be obtained by visiting www.archbold.org or calling (229) 584-7468.
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