Southwell will begin distributing COVID-19 vaccinations to certain populations within the community on Jan. 13 through the COVID-19 Vaccination Drive-Thru Clinic at the Southwell Medical Clinic in Tifton.

The vaccinations will be open to persons 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. Southwell employees will continue to receive vaccines through employee health.

Patients who receive vaccines through the drive-thru clinic will receive the first dose of the two-part Moderna vaccine.

“We are excited about the opportunity to begin providing COVID-19 vaccinations to public safety workers and vulnerable members of our community,” said Dr. Cameron Nixon, Chief Transformation Officer for Southwell and an Internal Medicine physician with Southwell Medical Clinic. “We know there is an interest in this in our community, and we are ready to meet this need.”

The vaccinations are by appointment only. Those who meet the eligibility criteria for the vaccination can register atwww.mysouthwell.com/vaccine/ anytime or call the drive-thru clinic’s request line at 229-353-2200 Monday - Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

After receiving the vaccine, patients will be observed for 15-20 minutes by medical personnel to ensure they aren’t experiencing any side effects.

“We encourage everyone that is able to get this vaccine through the clinic to do so,” said Dr. Nixon. “Through vaccinating our employees, we have had a great experience. We know there is a lot of mistrust or skepticism out there about this, but this is completely safe. We also ask our community members to continue wearing their masks, social distancing, and practicing proper hand hygiene.”