The Alabama government, Kay Ivey, announced Monday that the state will create an online portal to help the state’s overwhelming vaccine hotline.
Alabama has created a toll-free phone number for people who are eligible to receive the vaccine, to call to schedule appointments. The hotline was announced Friday and according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, it received 1.1 million calls on the first day.
“We are working to improve our registration capability by creating an online portal in addition to the hotline,” Ivey said in a Tweet on Monday. “We will provide more information if it is available.”
Ivey announced last week that from January 18, Alabama will begin offering vaccinations to people older than 75 categories of essential workers. Since the announcement, the ADPH, hospitals and local health departments have been inundated with calls from people wishing to make appointments upon receiving the vaccine.
Ivey did not say when the online portal will be launched.
The state also reported that hospitals are being flooded by people trying to make appointments to receive the vaccine, and has urged people to please not call hospitals directly, but rather use the hotline.
Jefferson County, the city’s most populous county and home of Birmingham, has set up an online register for people in the country to sign up to be notified when they are eligible to receive the vaccine and how to make an appointment to plan.
Ivey asked that people be patient until the online portal is launched and only call the hotline if you are eligible to schedule an appointment. At present, the state only plans appointments for health workers, emergencies and people over 75 years.
“Meanwhile, we’re asking for the public’s patience and only calling the hotline if you’re eligible,” Ivey said. ‘If you get a busy signal, please try calling again later. We all need help to make it work. ”