The Northeast Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health has launched extensive COVID-19 vaccination outreach efforts, with a focus on mobile vaccination clinics. The goal of these mobile clinics is to overcome barriers to vaccine access and to meet people where they are – at home, at work, and in the community.

The District began mobile vaccination operations in Athens-Clarke County in February through an ongoing partnership with Dr. Suzanne Lester and the AU/UGA Medical Partnership’s Athens Free Clinic, which is a mobile clinic that provides primary care to medically underserved individuals. The mobile clinic had previously worked with the District to provide COVID-19 testing in the community. To transition to providing COVID-19 vaccinations, medical students received vaccine training on-campus and with nurses at the Northeast Health District’s vaccination sites.  The students then participated in mobile clinics, providing vaccines to vulnerable Athens residents and to Clarke County School District employees, students, and family members.  

With assistance from a grant in April from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, hosted by the Athens Area Community Foundation in partnership with United Way of Northeast Georgia, the Northeast Health District - which serves Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton Counties - has been able to staff two additional mobile units that serve the entire 10-county area. Both units operate every day, Monday through Friday, and one of the units is also available on Saturdays.  

Over 1,400 COVID-19 vaccinations have been provided through mobile outreach in the district, with over 55% of those shots going to individuals who identify as Black/African American or Hispanic – a step in the right direction for equitable access to vaccines.

“This is a true community partnership in every sense. We’ve been hosted by churches, local Housing Authorities and other residential communities, public libraries, senior centers, employers, and at food distribution and other community events,” explained Sarah Peck, who is coordinating the district’s mobile outreach efforts. “We’ve also held pop-up clinics in grocery store parking lots and in downtown areas in conjunction with city and county governments. It’s never been easier to get vaccinated – we’ll come to you!” 

Mobile clinic events typically offer both the Pfizer vaccine – which is a two-dose vaccine authorized for ages 12 and up – and the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine – which is a one-dose shot authorized for adults. Anyone receiving a two-dose vaccine must get a second shot three to four weeks later, and the Public Health district aims to make that easy and accessible, too. 

“We either work with the host site to arrange a follow-up event in the same location, or we make second dose appointments at the nearest county health department,” Peck said. All county health department clinics in the district offer COVID-19 vaccinations daily, with both walk-up service and appointments available. For individuals who do not have access to transportation, free rides through Lyft are available for these appointments, thanks to a donation from the United Way.

COVID-19 vaccinations in health department clinics and mobile vaccination events sponsored by the Northeast Health District are free of charge, with no insurance necessary. As a bonus, free gift cards to local stores will be given away at upcoming community-based vaccination events. A list of these events can be found on the District’s website: bit.ly/NEHDCOVIDVaccine.

 Anyone wishing to request a mobile vaccination clinic may do so using an online form: http://bit.ly/NEHDMobileCOVIDVaccineRequest.