The Alabama Department of Public Health says state hospitals are being “overwhelmed” by calls from people asking to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and asking the public not to call hospitals directly to schedule an appointment.
ADPH says within hours of the state planning to vaccinate anyone over the age of 75 and more essential workers on Jan. 18, ADPH says hospitals in Alabama have been flooded with calls from people wanting to make appointments, and that the number of calls creates problems for those hospitals.
“Please do not contact your local hospital directly to make appointments scheduled to receive your COVID-19 vaccine,” the department said in a news release Friday.
“We have heard that hospital switches are being overwhelmed by phone calls, which is creating a barrier to patient care,” the release said. “Hospitals in Alabama are overwhelmed by the care of both COVID-19 patients and respond to all other medical needs of our citizens.”
Alabama is currently vaccinating only people in Phase 1a of its plan, frontline health workers and some emergencies, plus people who have extensive contact with COVID patients through their work, including laboratory and mortuary workers. Some areas started offering vaccines to other groups, if they had enough supplies, but this was largely at health departments in the country.
“Although hospitals in some areas of the state have begun vaccinating 75-year-olds and older, most are still working to ensure that their front-line workers are vaccinated,” ADPH said. “Additional information will be provided when hospitals and places other than provincial health departments have vaccines available for additional groups.”
The ADPH also introduced a rural vaccination hotline on Friday for people to call 1-855-566-5333. Calls are answered seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but ADPH says the line received more than 1.1 million calls on its first day of service.
As a result, ADPH asks people to call the hotline only if they are eligible to receive the vaccine on or before 18 January, which means that people are over 75 years of age, or who are doing work under Phase 1a or 1b of state’s allocation of vaccines is listed. plan.
“Please do not call the appointment line if you are not currently able to plan a vaccine,” the ADPH said on Saturday. ‘Due to the overwhelming number of calls, our target population is unable to get through to planning their appointments.
COVID-19 vaccinations are currently only available to health workers, people aged 75 and over, and first responders (including law enforcement and firefighters). Vaccine demand continues to exceed supply in Alabama, with more than 300,000 health workers and nearly 350,000 people eligible for a vaccine 75 years and older. ”
ADPH said people with general inquiries about the vaccine who do not want to schedule appointments to receive it can call 1-800-270-7268.
The ADPH also provided a list of hospitals and medical facilities that received the vaccine from January 6, although more places will be added as the state receives more shipments.
In Birmingham, the Jefferson County Department of Health also has a vaccination hotline at 205-858-2221. Jefferson County residents can also text 888777 with the message INFOJEFFCO to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine updates.
* Updated at 10:15 with additional information from ADPH.