Southwell will open a second COVID-19 vaccination site in Tifton at the Tift Regional Community Events Center beginning on February 1.   Shots will be administered Monday-Friday and an appointment will be required.

COVID-19 testing, which was previously being performed at the Tift Regional Community Events Center, will be moved to ExpressCare in Tifton. In addition, COVID-19 testing can be performed at any of Southwell’s primary care clinics, including those located in Adel, Sylvester, Ashburn, and Nashville. Pediatric patients can also be tested at Ocilla Pediatrics, Affinity Pediatrics in Tifton or Moultrie, and Southwell Pediatrics in Valdosta.

 “We are focused on increasing output,” said Alex Le, Chief Operating Officer for Southwell. “We recognize the demand for vaccines within our community, and we need to expand to meet that need. At the same time, we have seen a decrease in the number of people utilizing our drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic at the events center. We will continue to have enough testing to meet the needs of all the communities we serve through our convenient care, primary care, and pediatric clinics, and will increase the number of vaccinations for members of our community so we can help prevent hospitalizations in the future.”

The vaccinations will be open to patients over the age of 65; first responders, such as police officers, fire fighters, and EMS personnel; and healthcare workers who are not employed by Southwell.  Patients who receive vaccines through the drive-thru clinic at the Tift Regional Community Events Center will receive the first dose of the two-part Pfizer vaccine.

This will make the second vaccination site for Tifton, and the third site overall for Southwell.  In addition to the events center location in Tifton, other vaccination drive-thru sites include Southwell Medical in Adel on Wednesdays and the Southwell Medical Clinic location in Tifton, which is open Monday through Friday.

The vaccinations at all sites are by appointment only. Those who meet the eligibility criteria for the vaccination can call the drive-thru clinic’s request line at 229-353-2200 anytime to leave a message for scheduling. A representative will return their call and schedule an appointment. 

The Tift Regional Community Events Center is located in Tifton at 1657 S. Carpenter Road.  Southwell Medical can be found in Adel at 260 MJ Taylor Road.  Southwell Medical Clinic is located in Tifton at 2225 Highway 41 North. 

“We encourage everyone in the approved categories to receive this vaccine.” said Le. “This is a crucial step in keeping our communities safe from this virus.”