(SAVANNAH, GA) The UN World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency. But this does not mean a return to “life as we knew it” before the pandemic.
Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia are administrators of a supplemental grant focusing on COVID-19 and flu vaccine access, awareness, and acceptance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the grant is to broaden initiatives of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, particularly in Savannah’s Black and Hispanic communities.
As recommendations regarding the COVID vaccine continue to evolve, the grant administrators are striving to ensure that the overall messaging remains clear.
“What does this mean for us? Declining death rates may have led to an end to the public health emergency, but the threat of disease and death from the COVID-19 virus is far from over,” said Elsie Smalls, Ph.D., operations manager. “You should continue to keep the conversation going with your healthcare provider and understand that COVID boosters are likely going to be part of routine health management now and into the future.”
The REACH grant also funds a Community Health Advocate program in which individuals receive training to provide vaccine awareness and acceptance information in their own neighborhoods which may be at higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 or flu. More than 50 of these advocates are actively working in their communities and at various events throughout the Savannah area.
“We offer a $500 stipend to individuals who successfully complete the training requirements along with community service projects,” said Nichele Hoskins, REACH COVID/Flu communications manager. “Plus, we provide mini-grants to support health ministry or faith-based community events that promote vaccine awareness and availability as well as overall health and wellness.”
WHAT HAS CHANGED WITH THE COVID-19 VACCINE GUIDELINES?
According to WHO, the pandemic has been on a downward trend over the past 12 months, with immunity increasing due to highly effective vaccines developed to fight the disease, But COVID-19 is still claiming a life every three minutes. The global organization also warns that a very real risk remains for new variants to emerge that could spike new surges in cases and deaths.
“Fortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently simplified its COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations to make understanding that process easier, said Smalls. “This is a particularly important message for older adults and those with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.”
The new guidelines allow older adults and immunocompromised adults to get a second dose of the updated vaccine. They further recommend that everyone ages 6 years and older receive an updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously received the first vaccine series. The guidelines also provide more flexibility for healthcare providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients as needed.
“This is not the time to let our guard down,” said Smalls. “We all need to stay up to date with our COVID-19 boosters according to CDC recommendations for your age group.”
Smalls also cautions that waiting for a talked-about combined COVID and flu vaccine is not a good idea. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), vaccines that offer protection against both COVID-19 and influenza with a single shot will likely not be ready in time for this year.
The new, simplified guidelines provide instructions for the general population, as well as different instructions for children ages 6 months to 17 years and for the elderly and immunocompromised.
“Another important message for anyone who has contracted COVID, the CDC recommends you should get a COVID-19 vaccine after recovering to provide added protection,” said Hoskins. “The natural immunity you may have developed from the virus is only going to last so long.”
THE COST OF VACCINE & TESTING – WHO WILL PAY?
The U.S. is preparing to transition the cost of administering COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government to the private sector.
According to March 2023 data provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Biden Administration announced that it no longer had funding, absent further Congressional action, to make additional purchases and it began preparing for the transition of COVID-19 vaccines to the commercial market.
“This means that manufacturers will be negotiating prices directly with insurers and purchasers, not just the federal government, and prices are expected to rise,” said Hoskins. “If you have not yet received your booster, now is the time to get it, while the vaccine is still 100% free. This is particularly important for those who may be uninsured or underinsured.”
Testing is still available at no cost to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. Free, over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits, testing kiosks, and Specimen Point of Collection (SPOC) are available at locations in the Savannah area and throughout the state. Learn more at: https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 IN CHATHAM COUNTY AND AROUND THE WORLD
According to WHO’s Coronavirus Dashboard which has collated key statistics since early in the pandemic, the cumulative cases worldwide are now in excess of 767 million with nearly seven million deaths.
A total of more than 13.3 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
There have been 2.3 million confirmed cases in Georgia with more than 35 thousand deaths. There are still about 600 cases per week and 15 deaths a day from COVID in our state. Here in Chatham County, there have been more than 65 thousand cases and about 25 new cases are still reported each week.
In Chatham County, 65% of the population has received one dose while statewide, that number tops 67%. Statewide, nearly 59% are fully vaccinated while in Chatham County that number slightly exceeds 59% of the population.
According to CDC data reported in 2022 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Black and Hispanic people had been less likely than their white counterparts to receive a vaccine over the course of the vaccination rollout, but these disparities had narrowed over time and reversed for Hispanic people.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccine availability and testing near you, visit the Georgia Department of Health Coastal Health District at https://covid19.gachd.org/ For more information about the Community Health Advocate program, contact Dr. Elsie Smalls at elsie@healthysavannah.org. To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, go to www.chdcovidvax.org or call your county health department.
ABOUT THE YMCA OF COASTAL GEORGIA/HEALTHY SAVANNAH GRANT FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH: In September 2018, Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. Awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the funding is being deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods. The aim of the local project, called Healthy Opportunities Powering Equity, or HOPE, is to increase the availability of high-quality nutrition; promote physical activity through creating greater access to safe places to walk, run, bike and play; and foster stronger connections between people and the healthcare providers who serve them. Working with more than 200 community partners and organizations, the team is committed to elevating the health and wellness of the community through policy, systems, and environmental change. In July 2022, Healthy Savannah received the CDC’s 2022 REACH Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity Challenge. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals and entities whose work has contributed to advancing health equity.
healthysavannah.org ymcaofcoastalga.org.
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