Who’s getting the vaccine now?
Alabama is still trying to get more health workers and nursing home residents vaccinated before moving on to the next phase of its plan, which includes vaccinating people over 75 and essential frontline workers.
However, some counties have made enough progress to get the vaccine to health professionals and have started offering the vaccine to other groups, including first responders, teachers and people over 75.
Who’s in the next group?
Frontline healthcare professionals, Americans over 65 and people with certain pre-existing medical conditions will be eligible in the coming months.
Learn more about the order of priority groups here:
https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/12/when-will-alabamians-get-a-vaccine.html
When will everyone make it?
State health officials hope the vaccine will be available to the general public this summer.
What about children?
Vaccines have not yet been approved for use in children, but testing is ongoing.
How will I know when it’s my turn?
Alabama health officials will make broad announcements when it is time for new groups of people to receive the vaccine across the state, but smaller amounts of the vaccine are being made available by county health departments as supplies allow.
For example, Etowah County started offering the vaccine to residents over 75 and some teachers and school staff this week, and many county hospitals or health departments offered vaccines to police, first responders and other emergency workers who were not explicitly included in Phase 1a of the vaccination plan.
Where do you get the vaccine?
In Alabama, vaccines are now available at 16 major hospitals, 27 smaller medical centers and three independent pharmacies spread across the state. Each county health department in Alabama also received a small shipment of vaccines.
More suppliers are signing up to distribute the vaccine, including private doctors’ offices and pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens. In the coming weeks and months, you will probably be able to make an appointment and receive the vaccine at several pharmacies, emergency care clinics or the primary care physician’s office.
How can I check Alabama’s progress?
The Alabama Department of Public Health is tracking the vaccine launch on this website: https://alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/e4a232feb1344ce0afd9ac162f3ac4ba
Since January 2, Alabama has received 226,250 doses of COVID vaccines and reports that it has received almost 160,000 of them.
Will local pharmacies distribute vaccines?
Alabama is one of several states that have a federal program to vaccinate residents and employees of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. CVS and other major pharmacies are sending staff to these facilities with vaccines for residents and employees so that residents do not have to travel. This started in Alabama on December 28th.
In the coming weeks and months, you will probably be able to make an appointment and receive the vaccine at several pharmacies, emergency care clinics or at the primary care physician’s office.
What vaccines are we getting?
Alabama has received two different vaccines so far, one developed by Pfizer and the other developed by Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage and is administered mainly in large hospitals. Moderna does not and the vaccine is being administered in smaller facilities.
Do I have to take two doses?
Yes. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be effective, the dose of Pfizer 21 days after the first injection, Moderna 28 days after the first injection.
There is very limited data on the effectiveness of vaccines if a person does not receive the second dose.
Other vaccines in development require only one dose, but have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use.
How long does it take to work?
The CDC says it takes about “a week or two” after the second dose to achieve the maximum benefit from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Because vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to fight the virus, it takes some time for your body to build its immunity.
When will teachers receive the vaccine?
In Alabama, teachers are included in Phase 1b of the state vaccination plan. Alabama is currently in Phase 1a. Some locations are already offering the vaccine to limited populations included in Phase 1b, as supplies allow.
No one knows when the state as a whole will move to Phase 1b, but several sources have told AL.com that they expect this to happen in January.
It’s safe?
The approved COVID vaccines have proven to be safe through clinical safety tests involving tens of thousands of participants. There are some potential side effects, including rare allergic reactions.
The CDC recommends monitoring people who receive the vaccine for 15-30 minutes to ensure that there is no allergic reaction and is implementing a new V-safe program to monitor people who receive the vaccine in the long term for side effects.
It works?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed efficacy greater than 95% after two doses. A very small number of patients who received the vaccine in the trials still contracted COVID.
Do I still need to wear a mask after receiving the vaccine?
Yes. We still don’t know if it is possible to spread COVID-19 after vaccination or how long immunity will last.
How did Alabama decide who is first?
The state is following the CDC plan that balances the protection of the most vulnerable Americans with keeping the society in operation. Alabama is giving hospitals and local authorities freedom to switch between the phases recommended by the CDC as needed.
Will my employer require me to get a vaccine?
It depends. The state does not require any employees to be vaccinated, nor are hospitals in Alabama. Private employers have the right to require employees to have the vaccine.
Will I be required to carry a vaccination passport in Alabama?
No. State health officials say there are no plans to require vaccination passports.