Vaccine eligibility expands Monday, mass clinics to be held across Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - During a weekly media briefing Friday, Alabama Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the upcoming expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will more than double the number of people eligible in the state.

On Monday, everyone over age 55, people with high-risk medical conditions, additional critical workers, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be eligible.

Harris said it’s possible Alabama will open vaccine eligibility up to all adults before May 1.

“And if there’s a lot of demand, and the lines are miles long, and there’s no doses on shelf, it wouldn’t make sense to extend it everyone yet,” Harris said.

A determination on expanding eligibility will be made in the upcoming weeks, he said.

[Those looking to see if they are eligible and who want to set up a vaccination appointment can do so here.]

Harris says the state is expected to begin receiving between 110,000 and 120,000 doses per week. ADPH said a total of 2,021,465 doses have been delivered so far with 1,364,631 having already been administered.

The Alabama National Guard will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines on March 23 at mobile vaccination clinics. Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced finalized plans to set up the clinics.

The aim of the clinics, according to the state, is to reach eligible Alabamians in rural communities.

Harris said those seeking to use the National Guard COVID-19 clinics should monitor the ADPH website for changes in locations and timing.

ADPH recently updated the data dashboard for vaccine distribution. The data now shows the current vaccine distribution information by county including the percentage of those who have received doses. It also shows the locations for vaccine providers and federal pharmacies.

Harris mentioned the upcoming expiration of the current Alabama health order. On April 9, the state’s mask mandate will also expire, but Harris encouraged residents to continue wearing masks after the order expires.

As of Thursday, ADPH reported 510,048 cases of COVID-19, 46,939 hospitalizations and 10,391 deaths since the pandemic was first confirmed in Alabama in March 2020.

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