More Vaccinations Given At Convention Center

The City of Dalton's efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our community are ongoing. On Friday, the City once again provided COVID-19 vaccinations at the Dalton Convention Center at a convenient drive-thru clinic. Additionally, the City gave Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatments to more than 35 COVID patients on Friday at a separate clinic also located in the Convention Center parking lot. 

The City's efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines began back in January. City leaders worked with Whitfield County and state health officials to bring the vaccines on a drive-thru basis and were met with positive results. With the assistance of Dalton firefighters and volunteer nurses, the City was able to distribute thousands of doses of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine. City Councilmember Annalee Harlan was instrumental in bringing the clinic to the community, and she has taken the reins and has led the City's solo effort to keep the clinic going since then. A renewed push to get more of our residents vaccinated amid the recent Delta variant surge has led to more positive results. The latest data from the Georgia Department of Health shows that at least 46% of Whitfeld County residents are at least partially vaccinated with 41% now fully vaccinated. To achieve herd immunity and to be able to get back to normal, though, many more residents will need to be vaccinated. 

With COVID-19 vaccines now widely available, the City has reduced the number of vaccination dates at the Convention Center to one a week or one every other week. The focus has instead shifted towards offering the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatments to as many COVID-positive patients as possible. When given within the first seven days of illness, the treatments have been shown to be very effective at helping patients beat the virus. 

Below: A nurse gives a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to a patient at the drive-thru clinic; volunteers prepare more doses of the vaccine; a volunteer checks in patients with appointments for the Regeneron clinic