Alabama distributed more than 137,000 doses of the vaccine last week, despite snow and ice that forced some clinics to close, especially in northern Alabama. This total was the second largest in the state to date in Alabama, and the trend is clearly increasing.
More than 600,000 Alabamians received at least one dose of the vaccine, about 12.5% of the state’s population. More than 268,000 received both doses, about 5.5% of the population.
“We are very, very pleased with our performance,” said Alabama state health officer Dr. Scott Harris on Thursday.
The week before last, Alabama set a new record by hosting large-scale drive-thru clinics and distributing more than 157,000 doses.
The latest figures from the United States’ Centers for Disease Control show that Alabama administered 864,757 doses of vaccine as of Friday, almost 74% of the 1.1 million doses that were delivered to the state.
Harris said the state will continue to receive about 90,000 to 100,000 first doses per week of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
If the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is approved by federal regulators in the next few days, as expected, this could give Alabamians a third option and further increase the supply of the vaccine that reaches the state.
“We are working hard to put people in a predictable cadence of allocations so that they know exactly how much they are going to receive each week or month,” said Harris. “It will make it a lot easier for people to plan and program.”
No tips on when people with health problems can be added
Currently, several groups are officially invited to register at the hundreds of distribution points in the state. This includes medical workers, rescuers, teachers, industry employees, people over 65, public transport workers, grocery workers and more.
Harris did not offer an estimate of when the state will shift its vaccination focus to the next group of people in the state’s vaccination plan: people with health problems that put them at greater risk of death or serious illness if they contract COVID.
It is a large number of people in Alabama. The ADPH list of health conditions includes common conditions such as obesity, diabetes, smoking, as well as cancer, lung and heart disease.
“People with chronic health problems absolutely deserve to be vaccinated as soon as possible,” said Harris. “We are making every effort to get there as quickly as possible. The barrier is that in Alabama, we are a sick state, you know, at the beginning before COVID, and when you add that group of people who have diabetes and heart disease and obesity and chronic lung disease, those things that put them at high risk, you have more people than we are trying to vaccinate now.
“You are more than doubling the size of the group of people. And then, it is simply not fair to say to this group of people, ‘Okay, now you’re ahead of the line’, when there is no additional vaccine coming into the state. ”
Harris’ message to Alabamians is simple: keep trying.
“Please persevere,” he said. “Everyone who wants a chance is going to have a chance. We will have enough for everyone who wants to, and there is still not enough for everyone. But continue to check with providers who have injections. “
Harris said people can check the ADPH website for a list and a map of suppliers offering the vaccine, including retail pharmacies like Walmart and CVS, as well as traditional clinics and urgent care centers.
“Talk to doctors, clinics, pharmacies and urgent care in your community who have the vaccine,” said Harris.