MONTGOMERY-As part of a statewide effort to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination in Alabama, mass vaccination clinics will be held in each of the state’s public health districts next week. There is no cost to receive a vaccine, but everyone vaccinated must be in an eligible group, wear a mask and bring valid identification.
The new prioritization for vaccination that begins February 8 includes a large group–persons age 65 and above. In addition, workers listed here meet eligibility criteria:
· Healthcare workers
· First responders including EMS, firefighters and law enforcement
· Frontline essential workers as follows:
· Corrections officers
· Food and agriculture workers
· U.S. Postal Service workers
· Manufacturing workers
· Grocery store workers
· Public transit workers
· People who work in the education sector
· Childcare workers
· Judiciary
Dates, times, locations and other details about the sites are available by clicking on
https://www.
Hospitals playing a lead role in the mass clinics next week have been working on their plans for the past week, including informing their communities about this opportunity. Due to limited supply of vaccine, every hospital has maintained a waiting list of individuals interested in being vaccinated.
For the sites that will require appointments next week, hospitals have been busy working their way through those waiting lists to schedule appointments for next week’s mass clinics. Some hospitals have 5,000 – 10,000 or more people on waiting lists, so while there may not be appointments available in some areas next week, individuals will continue to be added to their lists and those people will be contacted as soon as another supply of vaccine is available in that area. These vaccination clinics are not replacing vaccinations occurring in other locations in these areas but are being held in addition to them.
The Alabama Department of Public Health wants to administer vaccine to all Alabamians who desire vaccine. However, the supply of vaccines remains very limited. Multiple county health departments have no vaccine available. Plans can change if more vaccine becomes available.
Media Release/Karen Landers, M.D./ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
