The Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District said it has closed its online registration portal for adults 65 and older and their caregivers to register to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
Officials said, "If you already registered online to be notified to schedule an appointment, please know we have that information and will contact you just as soon as possible. All COVID-19 immunizations are by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call your local county health department. For health department phone numbers, go to nwgapublichealth.org and click on the county name at the top of the page. If you have difficulty reaching your health department, please be patient and persistent. Keep calling.
"Please do not call the health department or show up at the health department asking about previous registrations. Be assured you will be contacted sooner or later if you have already registered.
"We had to close online registration because the number of registrations we were receiving was increasing at a far greater rate than we are capable of scheduling appointments to immunize people with our limited vaccine supply.
"Our online registration portal for healthcare providers, workers, and first responders, however, remains active. You can find that portal at nwgapublichealth.org. If you use the online registration for healthcare providers, workers, and first responders, please make sure you register correctly and completely.
"Vaccine supply at the moment in Northwest Georgia remains very limited. We are uncertain how long it might be before it increases enough to allow us to notify you. Please be patient. We will notify you immediately when there is adequate vaccine available for your immunization."