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Verify: Will Fulton Co. contact you to set up your second COVID-19 vaccine dose?

As we transition into the second phase of vaccinations, questions about the timeline of the second doses continue. Here's what to expect in Fulton County.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Over two million people in Georgia have received their COVID-19 vaccination. In Fulton County, as of March 4, over 200,000 people have received their first dose, and almost half of those have gotten their second.

An 11Alive viewer reached out to our Verify team trying to get answers on the timeline of his second dose. 

"I am a week past my second dose date and have not been contacted by the Fulton County Health Department for a 2nd dose appointment. Please verify Fulton County is actually scheduling 2nd COVID vaccines as they claim...2-5 days prior to your eligibility date," Chris asked. 

We went to the Fulton County Health Department to get this answer, and find out their appointment process. 

THE QUESTION 

Will Fulton County email you 2-5 days before your second dose is due? 

THE ANSWER 

It depends on when you received the first dose. Those who received their first dose before January should have received an email to schedule the second. If you received your first dose since the middle of January, you should have been given your second dose appointment that day. 

WHAT WE KNOW 

In mid-January, the county transitioned to a new way of scheduling vaccines. The Georgia Department of Public Health launched a state-wide system to make it easier for people to sign-up. 

So, if you got your first vaccine dose in Fulton County before January 20, Fulton County should have emailed you 2-5 days before your second dose was due, to schedule an appointment. 

Since our viewer Chris got his first shot on January 14, he falls into this group. He received the Moderna vaccine, so 28 days later, he was due for shot number two. That would have been February 11. 

RELATED: Verify: Mismatching COVID-19 vaccine brands for 2nd dose, timeline questions answered

When Chris didn't get an email, he called the hotline number. Turns out he had fallen through the cracks between the old system and the new. With 11Alive's help, Chris was able to schedule an appointment the next day. 

But this is not the case for everyone. Sheena Hayes, Fulton County Health Department's Executive Director said no one else should be expecting an email. 

"We are done with the waitlist...people after January 20 make their second appointment on site," Hayes explained. 

So we can verify, if you got your first dose in Fulton County after January 20, you will not get an email because you will schedule your second dose appointment before you leave your first. 

If you have questions, you can call the Fulton County Health Department's hotline number at 404-613-8150. 

11Alive's Verify team is here to fact-check claims being shared in the community and online. Fill out the form below with something you'd like us to Verify.

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