The University of Alabama at Birmingham will open two new locations in the coming weeks to provide COVID-19 vaccines to eligible people in Alabama, said Dr. Sarah Nafziger, vice president of clinical support services at UAB Medicine.
A location at Hoover Met will open on February 2 by appointment for people aged 75 and over. Another location at AH Parker High School will also open soon. Nafziger said UAB officials are still working on details about the location of Parker High School.
Both sites will be part of the health system’s existing drive-through vaccine clinic at UAB Highlands, which has been vaccinating eligible UAB patients against COVID since January 18. UAB announced the additional clinics on the same day as Alabama state health officer Dr. Scott Harris announced increased eligibility for some essential workers and people aged 65 to 74. This starts on February 8.
“Now, of course, with the opening of these vaccination eligibility groups, more and more people will be able to apply for the vaccine,” said Nafziger.
UAB will work with the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency to schedule appointments for people who are not UAB patients. People who have already signed up through UAB or the Jefferson County vaccination service and website do not need to register again, Nafziger said.
“There is no need to do that again,” said Nafziger. “This will not get you answered faster and will slow down the process, as we have to remove duplicate entries from the system.”
Nafziger urged people to use online portals and hotline numbers for vaccines. She urged the family to check on older relatives and friends who may not have access to the internet to help them register for the vaccine. People should not call UAB Hospital to make an appointment for a vaccine because the call center may be overloaded.
“It really happened when the group of 75 or older was announced,” said Nafziger. “In fact, we had some difficulties at the hospital because our call center had a lot of people calling asking about the vaccine and it delayed our ability to make some of the calls we needed to care for the patient.”
Nafziger said the UAB will be able to deliver up to 17,000 vaccines per week with unlimited supply. At the moment, the supply of vaccines from the federal government has been limited. She said that vaccine supply is likely to increase in the coming months.
So far, UAB has not had a serious reaction to the vaccine among healthcare professionals and older patients who received vaccines at their clinic.
“The vast majority of people have sore arms and muscles,” said Nafziger. “Some people reported low fever. Just feeling a little disgusting for about a day. The vast majority of people say that these symptoms disappear within 24 hours ”.
For those who have not yet qualified for vaccination, she asked for patience. Vaccine implantation in Alabama started slowly, but Nafziger said providers are working hard to get vaccines to everyone who qualifies.
“We are ready as soon as the doses arrive,” said Nafziger. “If you want the vaccine, guess what, we want you to get the vaccine. All health care providers in the state want you to have it desperately. “