Alabama continues COVID-19 vaccination efforts with eight new large-scale vaccination sites opening across the state today. They’re taking place in Anniston, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa.
Dr. Scott Harris is Alabama’s health officer. He said the plan is for the sites to administer 1,000 doses per day every day this week, but he warns the state’s supply won’t get to everyone who is eligible.
“This total group of people right now is going to be around 1.5 million people. That includes all people from Phase 1A to Phase 1B,” Harris said. “They all need two doses, at least for the products that we have right now. That’s 3 million doses. We don’t have anywhere near that amount right now.”
Harris said he wants to remind Alabamians that everyone who is eligible for a vaccine will receive one, but he said it will take some time to give shots to everyone who wants them.
The state health officer also said hospitals are playing a lead role in the mass clinics and have been working on their plans for weeks.
“A lot of those hospitals have already have waiting lists from people waiting to get shots,” Harris said. “There is a site or two on the list that are already booked up. So, of theses eight sites, there are a couple who have said, ‘We’ve got appointments, we’ve got them from our waiting list, and we don’t have additional slots.’ That unfortunately, is becoming all too common.”
The Alabama Department of Public Health pointed out due to limited supply of vaccine, every hospital has maintained a waiting list of individuals interested in being vaccinated. Some waiting lists include up to 10,000 people.
