Elbert County physician practice suspended for administering vaccines outside Public Health guidelines

Jan. 30—ELBERTON — The Georgia Department of Public Health announced that it has suspended the vaccine supply to a private physician practice in Elberton after an investigation of vaccine practices revealed the facility was vaccinating outside Georgia's current 1A-plus population.

The suspension is for a six-month period.

The decision to suspend the Medical Center of Elberton until July 27 came after an investigation of vaccine practices revealed the facility was vaccinating outside Georgia's current population guidelines. This current phase includes health care workers, long-term care residents, first responders, and persons ages 65-and-older and their caregivers. The Medical Center of Elberton provided vaccines to staff within the Elbert County School district, which is outside the current Phase 1A-plus allowed vaccine recipients list.

During the suspension, the facility is not eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine shipments. They may use remaining COVID-19 vaccine inventory for second dose administration to patients as applicable.

In light of the situation in Elbert County, Dr. Charles Ruis, health director of Southwest Health District 8-2, says the unfortunate situation should serve as an eye-opener for providers across the state.

"We understand that lots of people would like to have the vaccine now, but these are the criteria the state has developed, and providers are obligated to adhere to the criteria," Ruis said. "When providers do not follow the rules, they run the risk of being suspended from the program."

The Georgia Department of Public Health said that while no hospitals have been investigated for vaccinating outside the 1A-plus population, the penalties for violating the current phase guidance are steep, and blatant deviation from phase guidance is considered a violation of the provider agreement with DPH.

The Medical Center of Elberton is not associated with the Elbert Memorial Hospital, and no GHA-member hospitals have been penalized for COVID-19 vaccine misuse, DPH said.

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