WilliamGrow

VALDOSTA – Dr. William Grow, director for the South Health District, said the only way to get more COVID-19 vaccines in Lowndes County is to garner more support for them.

The 10-county South Health District ran out of the first dose of vaccines last week and had to cancel scheduled vaccinations; however, second doses are still available, he said.

Much like Dr. Brian Dawson, South Georgia Medical Center chief medical officer, did two weeks earlier, Grow presented the Lowndes County Commission with information on the coronavirus and vaccines in South Georgia.

He said the Georgia Department of Public Health hasn’t wasted a dose since it began vaccinating Tier 1A residents (health care facility and essential health care workers) on Dec. 18.

“We’ve had a few that would not show up for their appointment, so we had some leftover vaccines,” Grow said. “Having said that, we had found somebody to come into the health department within an hour, and in that hour, we gave it to someone who’s eligible.”

When the DPH opened registration for call backs Dec. 31, by the following Monday, there were 1,500 callbacks. It only increased from there through January

Grow said the DPH was doling out 270 vaccines a day in Valdosta. However, when the drive-thru for Tier 1A+ residents (adults aged 65 and older, their caregivers, fire personnel, dispatchers) on Jan. 18, the DPH soon had a vaccine shortage.

“We ran out of adequate vaccines to give first vaccinations (and) we realized that last Wednesday (Jan. 20),” he said.

No vaccine shipments arrived Jan. 21 so health officials announced it would cease all first vaccinations.

Grow said the DPH had appointments up to March, but it was necessary to cancel them to prioritize second vaccinations.

As the federal government allocates the supply of vaccines, there’s nothing the DPH can do at the moment.

“A lot of it has to do, again, with two doses and/or communication, and/or administration, and/or micromanagement and/or lack of coordination throughout the nation,” Grow said.

Vaccine supply is limited, but in the coming weeks it’s expected to rise.

Grow said he’s hoping the South Health District can get access to the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as it’s reported to only need one shot rather than two.

Still, the main goal is making sure the 10 counties in the South Health District, and Georgia overall, are protected from the virus.

He said 30% of the American public would take the virus originally, but over the last weekend, reports showed the number jumping to 60%.

Grow said health officials hope it grows to 80-90%, showing a greater need for the vaccine and a potential way to make COVID-19 a seasonal virus like the flu.

Taking a look back at the numbers, Grow compared positivity numbers from October to now.

“Back in October, we were down to 5% positivity,” he said. “Last week, (it was) 24% positivity. That’s one out of every four people that were tested.

In October, it was one out of 20 people who tested positive. He said it decreased on Jan. 24 and 25 to between 11-13%.

The only way to get that down to zero or close to it is through the vaccine, Grow said.

“You say the virus is mutating, the virus is mutating. So does the flu,” he said. “More than likely (the vaccine) is going to require booster shots.”

Vaccination antibodies last at least six months and with the virus mutating, suppliers will simply have to tweak the vaccine annually much like the flu vaccine.

The bottom line though, Grow said, is to get as many people vaccinated as possible. 

Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter said he agrees.

“We have to get through this process,” he said. “Whatever and however it develops – if it develops into a booster shot we have to take – it’s going to be no different than battling the flu.”

It’s a choice that we make, Slaughter said, and one that we should make.