Health officials still contend that the best prevention against COVID-19 is to be fully vaccinated.  When vaccines first became available, Chattooga County residents lagged behind state and national numbers in vaccinations.

As we get close to the end of the month, numbers show that while Chattooga County is still behind the state and national average for residents being fully vaccinated, the numbers have improved.

As of yesterday, February 21st, 9,581 county residents have been fully vaccinated – that’s about 38% of the overall population.  In all, 10,344 – or around 42% – of the county’s residents have received at least one round of COVID-19 vaccine.

Those numbers are higher than the rates in neighboring Walker County, where 33% of the population is fully vaccinated and lower than Floyd County’s rate of 44%.

Across the state line, DeKalb County, Alabama is reporting over 50% of the population fully vaccinated and over 62% of the residents there have received at least one dose of vaccine.  Almost 51% of Cherokee County, Alabama residents have been fully vaccinated and over 62% have received at least one round of COVID-19 vaccine.