The Chattooga County Health Department and many area pharmacies continue to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations, but Chattooga County lags well behind the national and state average for immunizations against COVID-19.

According to the latest numbers 57% of Americans have been vaccinated with one of the three FDA approved COVID-19 vaccinations.  In Georgia, 47% of the state’s residents are fully-vaccinated and over 56% have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Here in Chattooga County, only 7,120 people have been fully vaccinated.  That is 28.69% of those eligible for the vaccine.  There have been 7,786 people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to numbers released Friday by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The Department of Public Health continues to encourage area residents to get vaccinated as they say that is the best defense against contracting COVID-19.