The following is a list of frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccine availability at Longstreet Clinic, as well as additional information about the vaccines themselves. If you are eligible to be vaccinated have not yet done so, we strongly encourage you to as soon as possible.
Last updated August 26, 2021
Yes.
Longstreet Clinic has been approved by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as a Vaccine Site for our employees, our patients and the community.
In early January we began vaccinating our staff, as well as those who qualified as eligible under Phase 1a+, most of them patients 65 and older as well as first responders and healthcare workers. We continue providing the vaccine to those eligible under state guidelines (those 12 and older).
We have created and continue to modify a regular schedule to administer the vaccine by appointment, as well as on a walk-in basis 7 days a week. To view our walk-in hours and locations, click here. If you prefer an appointment, call 678-207-4402.
Yes, we have administered all three vaccines that have received the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization to date. We may not always have all three available at all times.
You do not have to be a patient to be vaccinated for COVID-19 at Longstreet Clinic. You do, however, have to be eligible under Georgia Department of Public Health guidelines. As of May 11, 2021, all Georgians 12 and over are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine approved (EUA) for use for children who are age 12 to 17. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for those 18 and older only (Moderna announced positive results in trials for ages 12 and older; the manufacturer could gain FDA approval – under emergency use authorization – soon. Additional trials and testing for children and teens are underway.
Longstreet Clinic continues to adapt to best practices regarding COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency for the protection of our patients, staff and community.
For those seeking to be vaccinated, you do not have to be a current patient to receive the vaccine from us. If you are 12 and older, you can receive your vaccine here in the following ways:
We have received lots of questions about vaccinating children and were recently able to host two information sessions that included pediatricians, other medical experts and school officials.
You can watch them here:
July 22, 2021
May 25, 2021
On Aug. 13, 2021, the CDC updated its COVID-19 vaccination guidelines to include a third injection for immunocompromised patients. Longstreet Clinic will follow guidelines consistent with the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health for receiving this third dose. These include:
Longstreet Clinic will use our Urgent Care (Gainesville) and Family Medicine (Oakwood) locations to administer third doses as outlined above (click here for hours). Using the GRITS database, our staff will verify that the patient has received both doses of either Moderna or Pfizer at least 28 days prior to third dose date. (Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not eligible for a third dose at this time.)
Immunocompromised people who receive a third dose should continue following infection prevention measures such as wearing a mask, washing their hands, social distancing and avoiding crowds. Family members of the immunocompromised are encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they have not been already.
Longstreet Clinic continues to follow CDC guidelines to keep our staff, our patients and our visitors as healthy as possible. Masks are required in our facilities. We also continue to follow enhanced cleaning protocols and request that all guests practice social distancing (we have placed marks on the floors and roped off seating areas).
Gainesville – All COVID-19 vaccinations are now happening in our Urgent Care offices located on the third floor.
When you arrive at our Gainesville campus before your appointment, we encourage you to do so from the west via Prior Street.
One block of Broad Street, between Prior and Spring streets, has been closed to thru traffic, but patients coming for the vaccine should continue past the barrier along Broad to the designated parking area, which will be on your left if you arrive from the west. Once parked, please proceed across the street via the crosswalk and enter the building via Entrance A (look for the large blue “A”).
Use the elevators or stairs to reach the third floor. You will be asked to complete paperwork before receiving the vaccine. Once you receive the vaccine, you will be required to stay for an observation period lasting from 15 to 30 minutes based on your medical history. We have seating spaced throughout our facility and invite you to enjoy complimentary wi-fi access as you wait.
Vaccines also are available at our Family Medicine office in Oakwood (4222 Fairbanks Drive) during business hours Monday-Friday.
The vaccine is provided free of charge. Commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and other payors typically cover the cost for the provider to administer the vaccine, so you may be asked for insurance information when you check in for your appointment. Longstreet Clinic will not bill you for any fees associated with administering the vaccine.
For patients without health insurance or whose insurance does not provide coverage of the vaccine, the administrative charge will be billed to the Provider Relief Fund.
Due to the complexity of the current situation as well as CDC and DPH requirements, we have established centralized vaccine sites at the Gainesville and Oakwood Campuses. See above for specifics about locations and hours.
As demand dictates, we have and may hold vaccine clinics at additional sites.
The following information is related to the vaccines, possible side effects, etc.
Last updated Aug. 26, 2021
Safety is assessed in clinical trials that are studied by independent experts. They ensure safety in multiple ways including:
All three vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, hospitalization and death. What matters most is that you get one.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses, and both doses should come from the same manufacturer. With Pfizer-BioNTech, your second dose should come approximately 21 days after the first; with Moderna, approximately 28 days. If you receive the first dose of one of these through Longstreet Clinic, your second dose appointment will be scheduled while you are here for the first shot.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires just one dose.
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech require two doses to get the most protection. This is to make sure your body has enough antibodies to fight the disease. The vaccines are considered about 52% effective after the first dose. After the second dose, effectiveness has been demonstrated at more than 94%.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is formulated to require one dose only.
However, receiving the vaccine does not mean you are immediately protected, so please continue to wear masks, social distance and practice frequent hand hygiene. Maximum protection usually occurs about 2 weeks after the final dose.
The CDC continues to update additional guidance for those who are fully vaccinated. You can find that information here.
While it’s best to stick to recommended time frames, you can still get your second dose later if you missed it for some reason. It is important that you receive the second dose in order to reach maximum protection.
Yes.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly recommends that all eligible pregnant patients receive a COVID-19 vaccine during any trimester. The COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for partners and caregivers in close contact with pregnant patients.
Available data suggest that pregnant and postpartum patients who develop symptoms from COVID-19 are at increased risk of more severe illness. Pregnant and postpartum patients with co-morbidities such as obesity and diabetes may be at an even higher risk of severe illness.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for ages 12 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently approved for ages 18 and older only. Additional trials are underway.
Here are area experts discussing the topic:
July 22, 2021
May 25, 2021
Most people do not experience any major issues after vaccination. Your arm may be sore, red or warm to touch. You may get a headache, fever, or muscle aches. These are signs that the vaccine is causing a response in your body’s immune system – reacting and creating antibodies to fight off the virus. It does not mean you are getting COVID-19, just that the vaccine is doing its job. These minor side effects may last up to a week after vaccination, though usually no more than a few days.
On April 13, 2021, the FDA and CDC recommended a temporary pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccination in order to further explore a rare side effect of blood clots in certain groups. As of that date, only six cases in nearly 7 million doses had been reported. Approximately 10 days later, the recommendation was made to resume use of the J&J vaccine. Investigators said there was possibly a correlation between the shot and those very rare side effects, but the benefits outweighed the risks.
The vaccines do not contain live or killed viral particles, so none can give you COVID-19. In some cases a person may already be infected with COVID-19 when they get the vaccine. If they later test positive for it, it does not mean they got COVID-19 from the vaccine.
The vaccines do NOT contain:
You will not be immediately protected so you will need to continue to wear masks, social distance and practice frequent hand hygiene. Full protection usually occurs about 2 weeks after your final dose.
The CDC has issued guidance for those considered fully vaccinated. Read those guidelines here.
You can get the vaccine as long as you are no longer under isolation and your symptoms have resolved. If you have received convalescent plasma or antibody infusions, you should wait 90 days from the initial infection. Reinfection is uncommon within 90 days.
We understand people have questions about the vaccine. The Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) recently released some helpful information surrounding this topic.
This edition of MAG’s ‘Top Docs’ show address the crucial need for people to get vaccinated and vaccine hesitancy – including one version in English that features Longstreet Clinic’s Andrew Reisman, M.D., and one version in Spanish that features Carlos del Rio, M.D., FIDSA.
Drs. Reisman and del Rio discuss…
Dr. Reisman is a family medicine physician with the Longstreet Clinic, a member of the Georgia Composite Medical Board, and MAG’s immediate past president. He graduated from the MAG Foundation’s Georgia Physicians Leadership Academy in 2008. Dr. Reisman has a medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine, and he completed his residency at the University of Maryland.
Dr. del Rio is a professor at the Emory University School of Medicine and the executive associate dean for Emory at Grady Hospital. In addition, he is the Hubert professor and chair of the Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health and a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. del Rio is a native of Mexico, where he attended medical school at Universidad La Salle. He completed his internal medicine and infectious diseases residencies at Emory University in Atlanta.
The Spanish-speaking episode is hosted by Georgia Board for Healthcare Workforce Chair Antonio Rios, M.D., F.A.C.P., CPE, who is one of the original physicians of Northeast Georgia Physicians Group in Gainesville. Dr. Rios has a medical degree from La Salle University in Mexico, and he completed his residency and fellowship at Emory University.
WATCH
MAG ‘Top Docs’ show on vaccinations/vaccine hesitancy with Dr. Reisman
Programa MAG ‘Top Docs’ sobre vacunas/vacilaciones con el Dr. del Rio (en Español)
RESOURCES
