Public health officials in Northwest Georgia are still urging residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine as the delta variant continues to spread around the state and other parts of the country.
Statewide, there has been a slight uptick in vaccine doses given to residents but Georgia still ranks at the bottom of the lists of states and vaccination rates. The spread of the delta variant can be seen as a clear reason why the uptick has occurred.
At the beginning of June, just under 40% of all Georgians had received at least one dose of the vaccine. A month later, on July 1, the number rose to 42.4%. By Monday the number was 47%, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
All seven counties in Northwest Georgia are below the state average for vaccination rates. Whitfield County has the highest rate in the region as of Monday at 38%, which is up from 34.3% on June 1. Dade and Walker counties have the lowest vaccination rates in the area with 29%, and both have shown an uptick in vaccinations since the start of June.
Dr. Zach Taylor, interim director of the North Georgia Health District, called COVID-19 now the “disease of the unvaccinated,” in a recent blog post.