Atlanta — Oct 10, 2022
The Atlanta Regional Commission is launching a campaign this month to encourage adults ages 60 and over to get up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines by receiving the new booster.
ARC, which serves as the federally designated Area Agency on Aging for the 10-county metro Atlanta region, received a grant from the Georgia Department of Human Services, with funds originating from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ARC’s outreach is part of a $100 million federal effort to increase vaccination rates among people ages 60 and over and adults with disabilities. The effort includes disseminating information about COVID vaccines, identifying people who may need help getting a vaccine, and assisting with scheduling vaccination appointments.
“We want to ensure that older adults are aware that an updated booster is available that will offer more protection and save lives,” said ARC Executive Director Anna Roach. “It’s critical that we keep metro Atlanta’s most vulnerable populations healthy as we continue to fight COVID-19.”
Across the 10-county region, vaccination rates for residents ages 65 and over who have received at least one initial dose range from 92% in Douglas County to 100% in Gwinnett and Cherokee counties, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. But these numbers drop sharply when boosters are considered. The rate for residents ages 65 and over who have received at least one booster range from 62% in Douglas County to 81% in Fayette County.
ARC’s multimedia outreach focuses on getting older residents of the 10-county region fully vaccinated by disseminating information about the new booster and guiding them to a website, vaccines.gov, where they can find information on where to get the booster by typing in their zip code. The campaign, titled “Life Is Better with a Boost,” targets both English and Spanish speakers and features digital ads, billboards, newspaper and radio ads, banners at pharmacies and supermarkets, and transit ads.
On August 31, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized bivalent formulations of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for use as a single booster dose. With the updated booster approved and available, and recommended by the CDC, being fully vaccinated now means that individuals ages 12 and up must have the updated COVID-19 booster, even if they received the original boosters.
The CDC recommends that staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines is the best protection against the disease, especially against severe illness and hospitalization.
Adults ages 60 and over have been particularly vulnerable to the most severe effects of COVID, being more likely to be hospitalized with COVID or die from COVID that their younger counterparts, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Some 80% of the 33,439 people who have died of COVID-19 in Georgia since the start of the pandemic have been people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, according to Georgia Department of Public Health data.
ARC prepared this Frequently Asked Questions primer on the updated COVID-19 booster.
###
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 11-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 74 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention, and planning resources on key regional issues.
Contact Name: Aixa Pascual
Contact Phone: 404-234-4143
Contact Email: apascual@atlantaregional.org
ARC’s Strategic Partners are committed to fostering collaborative regional approaches that improve quality of life in metro Atlanta. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. Learn more.
