(The Center Square) – Four Georgia House Democrats said they plan to introduce legislation that would codify access to vaccines in Georgia.
Reps. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, Marvin Lim, D-Norcross, Karen Lupton, D-Chamblee, and Lisa Campbell, D-Kennesaw, said Wednesday that while the prescription requirement for the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer in place, more work is needed.
“Every Georgian deserves access to life-saving vaccines without unnecessary barriers,” the lawmakers said in a release. “Our constituents deserve transparency when seeking access to health care, particularly following recent decisions by the federal government.”
The lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp in September asking him to ensure the vaccine was available to Georgians.
“To be clear, none of these actions would impose a vaccine mandate that would simply ensure that Georgians who choose to be vaccinated can do so safely, easily, and without unnecessary barriers. This is a matter of access, not compulsion,” the lawmakers said in their letter.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices adopted new guidelines for the vaccine at its meeting last week.
Patients who receive the vaccine will receive counseling on the risk-benefits in compliance with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department said. The center issued a recommendation on Monday.
“Informed consent is back,” said Jim O’Neill, acting director of the CDC and deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “CDC’s 2022 blanket recommendation for perpetual COVID-19 boosters deterred health care providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination for the individual patient or parent. That changes today.”
The Georgia Department of Public Health said Tuesday that health departments across the state have started administering the COVID-19 vaccine and no prescription is needed. Pharmacies also have it, the department said in a release.
The number of Americans who received the COVID-19 vaccine has dropped dramatically, according to the CDC, citing numbers from the National Immunization Survey.
Almost 85% of U.S. adults received the primary vaccines, while just 23% of adults have received the seasonal booster, the agency said.
