FCHD to have covid vaccines available Jan. 4

According to a release from Debbie Barnes, Fulton County Health Department, “The Fulton County Health Department will begin giving COVID-19 vaccines Jan. 4 at 2 p.m., with the EMS and medical professionals who are not affiliated with a hospital.

There are four COVID-19 Exposure Risk Levels for receiving the vaccine.

The first is for those at a “very high exposure risk” including healthcare workers who perform aerosol-generating procedures, Healthcare or laboratory personnel collecting or handling potential SARS-CoV-2 specimens; and morgue workers performing autopsies on persons known or suspected to have had SARS-CoV-2 at the time of death.

The next level is “high exposure risk” which encompasses healthcare and healthcare support workers who perform direct patient care; medical transport workers moving known or suspected COVID-19 patients; mortuary workers involved in preparing bodies; and other essential personnel with high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS-CoV-2.

“Medium exposure risk” includes persons working in critical infrastructure jobs wherein they may have contact with the general public (e.g. transit workers, grocery and pharmacy workers, sanitation workers, high-volume retail workers, educators); and persons who may have frequent contact with travelers who return from international locations with widespread COVID-19 transmission.

The “low exposure risk” group comprise persons who do not require contact with the general public; persons who do not require contact with potential sources of SARS-C0V-2; persons who are teleworking; office workers who do not have frequent close contact with co-workers, customers, or the public; manufacturing and industrial facility workers who do not have frequent close contact with coworkers, customers, or the public; healthcare workers providing only telemedicine services; and long-distance truck drivers.