When the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved in the U.S. in December, many felt it was the light at the end of a long, dark and death-ridden tunnel. What many didnât anticipate was a slow rollout hampered by everything from anti-vaccine protests to transit and storage issues. The situation in Athens is hardly different. Without much guidance from the federal and state government, vaccine distribution has been left to health departments, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies operating in fragmented districts across Georgia. The rollout is especially difficult in rural and low income communities. A logistical nightmare â[Rural and low-income communities] have had the greatest loss of life, and they oftentimes have the most people with pre-existing conditions and things like that,â said Mariah Parker, Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner. âAt the same time, thereâs a lot of concern with medical experts about delays in getting the vaccine to them.â