Alabama launched its highly anticipated online submission site for COVID vaccines yesterday, but it wasn’t long before many users became frustrated with the lack of appointments available.
As of Tuesday morning, only 31 of Alabama’s 67 counties had time slots available for COVID vaccine notifications through the health department, and many of those appointments were not available until March or were only for follow-up doses.
Many users questioned the effectiveness of the portal, which was first announced by Governor Kay Ivey in mid-January.
“Here is a portal to schedule appointments. Oh yes, no appointments in most provinces. Anyway, it’s a portal, ”wrote one user on the ADPH website. “So stand in line for hours IF there’s a ride through the clinic around you.”
ADPH later said on social media that most “February clinics and appointments have already been booked (in) most provinces using the limited supply” of vaccines and directed people to check out another tab on the site with a list of walk-in and ramp clinics. You can see that link here. The clinics are arranged by date (a site may be listed multiple times for different days) and some only do second doses.
Additional locations for vaccine distribution – including pharmacy locations – are listed here.
ADPH said that while appointments may not be available now, the agency “expects access to appointments to increase, especially for priority populations as our offering from the federal government increases.”
On the portal, people can confirm their eligibility and sign up for email notifications when the vaccine becomes available for additional priority groups. Information is also provided about the vaccine product itself and what to expect.
Jefferson County, which doesn’t list available appointments on the Alabama Department of Public Health site, deals with its own vaccine registry here.
The vaccine pool will be expanded by 1 million people next week
The pool of people who are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine in Alabama will soon grow much, much larger despite the lack of supply.
Alabama began its vaccination program with primary care health workers and those who work or live in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. It has since expanded to first responders, such as police officers and firefighters, and people 75 and older.
According to ADPH data, Alabama has received 772,275 COVID-19 vaccine doses and administered 359,589 with “demand significantly exceeds supply.” Alabama has more than 326,000 health workers and nearly 350,000 people who qualify for the vaccine because they are 75 and older.
Beginning February 8, the state will expand the pool of eligible vaccines to those over 65 and older, teachers, correction officers, postal, manufacturing and food workers, and those working in the judiciary. These additions are expected to affect about 1 million people, despite a lack of vaccine supply.
Both currently used COVID vaccines require two separate doses to be administered 21-28 days apart, and ADPH said the clinics are likely to “focus heavily on providing second doses for the month of February.”
ADPH has no timeline for when it moves to the next phase of vaccination.
How to Find a COVID Vaccine in Alabama
1. Check your county or other counties for arrangements on COVID vaccinations through the ADPH Vaccine Planner website.
2. View the schedule, times, and qualifications for drive-through or walk-in clinics through the ADPH website.
3. Review the list of other providers that have vaccines available. You can access that list here. (The link may point to walk-in sites. If that happens, click on the tab at the bottom that says ‘Alabama Vaccine Providers’.