Georgia Coastal Health District

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is announcing the allocation of Merck and Pfizer oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 to select retail pharmacies in Georgia. Initial supply of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid™ from the federal government is very limited. DPH anticipates additional allocations in the coming weeks as production increases.

Per guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), initial allocations were made to federal pharmacy partners. DPH has partnered with Walmart, Walgreens, and Good Neighbor Pharmacy Group (a group of small independent pharmacies) to ensure coverage across the state. Pharmacies currently allocated treatments can be found on the DPH website at https://dph.georgia.gov/dph-covid-19-guidance.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for Molnupiravir by Merck and an emergency use authorization for Paxlovid™ by Pfizer as oral antiviral treatments of COVID-19. Early studies indicate these treatments may reduce severe outcomes from COVID-19 including hospitalization or death. The antivirals are recommended for treatment of individuals who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 or have underlying medical conditions. Both drugs require a prescription and should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.

While antivirals may help treat COVID-19, vaccination is the best prevention against COVID infection. Georgians aged 5 and older are eligible for vaccination. Georgians 16 and older are eligible for boosters six months after completing their primary vaccine series of either Moderna or Pfizer (only Pfizer is authorized for booster doses in 16- and 17- year-olds) and two months after their J&J vaccine. For COVID vaccination opportunities by the Coastal Health District, visit chdcovidvax.org.

Basic prevention measures should also be followed to help prevent further spread of COVID and mitigate outbreaks of infection, especially in public settings: wear a mask, physically distance, and wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

The Georgia Department of Public Health is urging Georgians to carefully follow COVID-19 prevention measures during holiday celebrations and gatherings to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

COVID case numbers are increasing daily, and the Omicron variant is spreading faster than any previous variant.

Surveillance for COVID variants is done through genomic sequencing of PCR positive test results. In Georgia, the most recent genomic sequencing is from week ending Dec. 4, and at that time, the Delta variant was responsible for 98% of new COVID cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses genomic sequencing data to project current variant proportions and now estimates Omicron accounts for more than 73% of new COVID cases in the United States. Given the rapid transmissibility of the Omicron variant, the current proportion of Omicron in Georgia is likely similar to that of the national estimate, and presumably will account for all new COVID cases in the state in the coming weeks.

Regardless of the variant, mitigation and prevention measures for COVID-19 are the same. To help prevent transmission and to reduce your risk of exposure DPH recommends:

• Get a COVID vaccination and booster dose.
• For young children who aren’t yet eligible for the COVID vaccine, reduce the risk of exposure by making sure the people around them are vaccinated.
• Wear well-fitting masks over your nose and mouth in public indoor settings.
• Physically distance, about six feet, around people outside of your own household.
• Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces and remember that outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
• If you are sick or have symptoms of COVID-19, don’t host or attend a gathering.
• Follow CDC recommendations for holiday travel.
• Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

Testing is critically important to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. If you have symptoms or had a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, you should be tested, regardless of your vaccination status. Consider getting a COVID test before gathering indoors with others to determine if you’re positive for COVID and to reduce the risk of spreading infection. If you test positive, you should isolate and inform close contacts. A negative test result indicates either you are not infected or that you are at low risk of spreading disease to others, even though it does not necessarily rule out an infection.

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It was a milestone moment in Georgia’s fight against the pandemic when – on this date last year – the Coastal Health District was the first site in the state to receive shipments of COVID-19 vaccine when deliveries arrived in Chatham and Glynn Counties. Initial supplies of the Pfizer vaccine were limited, and the Coastal Health District worked with local hospitals and other medical providers to make sure workers on the front lines of the pandemic were able to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Demand for the shots far exceeded supply in the beginning, but the vaccination program steadily expanded. Today there are three vaccines authorized in the United States and plenty of vaccine available for all Georgia residents aged 5 and older.

“There was a true feeling of hope when the vaccine landed on our doorstep back in December 2020. It was the first sign of light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel,” said Coastal Health District Health Director, Dr. Lawton Davis.

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To date, more than 178,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered through public health in the eight-county Coastal Health District. Though vaccine is now offered at many locations including urgent care centers, hospitals, and pharmacies, initial vaccination efforts centered around health departments.

“I just can’t say enough about the incredible amount of hard work and sacrifice by our public health team. It wasn’t easy, especially in the early days when demand for vaccine outweighed supply, but they persevered and did everything possible to get our residents vaccinated,” said Davis. “It was a heavy burden and one that our folks carried with grace and determination.”

While there is no longer a shortage of vaccine, some residents are still hesitant about getting vaccinated.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in the span of a single year, but we have a long way to go,” said Davis. “COVID-19 is still a significant public health threat and there will almost certainly be more emerging variants. We know vaccine helps lessen the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 in the same way that we know seatbelts help lessen the risk of severe injury from a car accident. But these measures only protect you if you use them.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone ages five and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. To schedule an appointment through public health, go to chdcovidvax.org, or call the Coastal Health District Vaccine Call Center at 912-230-5506 on Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To find vaccination sites anywhere in the state of Georgia, go to vaccinefinder.org.