Southwest Georgia students urged to get COVID shots before schools re-open
Dr. Charles Ruis
File PhotoFrom staff reports
ALBANY — Southwest Public Health District 8-2 is encouraging eligible students to get their free COVID-19 shots over summer vacation in preparation for returning to the classroom and team sports this fall.
Everyone 12 and older is now eligible to receive the vaccination, District Health Director Dr. Charles Ruis said, adding that, in addition to being good for the individual, their family, and the community, being fully vaccinated has many added benefits of which students and their parents should be aware.
“Once you’re fully vaccinated, you no longer have to quarantine if exposed to someone with COVID-19,” he said. “That means less time lost in the classroom for vaccinated students and more time on the field for our area athletes.”
Individuals ages 12-17 will receive the Pfizer vaccine, while those 18 and older can choose from the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The two-dose vaccines are scheduled about a month apart, so getting the first one soon will allow students to be fully vaccinated by the start of school, Ruis noted.
COVID-19 shots can be scheduled online at southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org or by calling public health departments and clinics throughout Southwest Public Health’s 14-county district.
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