Who gets the vaccine now?
Alabama is still trying to get more of its health care workers and nursing home residents vaccinated before moving on to the next phase of its plan, which includes vaccinating people over the age of 75 and frontline essential workers.
However, some provinces have made enough progress to get the vaccine to health workers and have started offering the vaccine to other groups, including first responders, teachers and people over 75.
Who is in the next group?
Frontline health care workers, Americans over the age of 65, and people with certain pre-existing medical conditions will be eligible in the next few months.
Read more about the order of priority groups here:
https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/12/when-will-alabamians-get-a-vaccine.html
When will everyone get it?
State health officials expect the vaccine to be available to the general public by the summer.
What about children?
The vaccines have not yet been approved for use in children, but trials are underway.
How will I know when it’s my turn?
Health officials in Alabama will make broad announcements when it’s time for new groups of people to receive the vaccine across the country, but smaller amounts of vaccine are being made available by health departments in the province, as the stock allows.
For example, Etowah County this week began offering the vaccine to residents over the age of 75 and some teachers and school staff, and many hospitals or health departments in the province offered vaccine to police, first responders and other emergency personnel not explicitly in Phase 1a has not been included. of the vaccine plan.
Where do you get the vaccine?
In Alabama, vaccines are now available in 16 major hospitals, 27 smaller medical centers and three independent pharmacies spread across the state. Every health department in Alabama also received a small amount of vaccines.
More providers are signing up to distribute the vaccine, including private doctor’s offices and chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens. In the coming weeks and months you will probably be able to make an appointment and receive the vaccine at many chain pharmacies, urgent care clinics or at your primary care office.
How can I track the progress of Alabama?
The Alabama Department of Public Health monitors the distribution of vaccines on this site: https://alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/e4a232feb1344ce0afd9ac162f3ac4ba
As of Jan. 2, 226,250 doses of COVID vaccines have been allocated to Alabama, and it is reported that it has received nearly 160,000 of them.
Will local pharmacies dispense vaccines?
Alabama is one of several states that rely on a federal program to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. CVS and other large pharmacies send teams to the facilities with vaccinations for residents and staff so that the residents do not have to travel. It started on Dec. 28 in Alabama.
In the coming weeks and months, you will probably be able to make an appointment and receive the vaccine at many chain pharmacies, urgent care clinics or at your doctor in primary care.
What vaccines do we get?
Alabama has so far received two different vaccines, one developed by Pfizer and one developed by Moderna. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage and is mostly given in large hospitals. Modern does not and that vaccine is given at smaller facilities.
Do I need to get two doses?
Yes. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be effective, the Pfizer dose 21 days after the first shot, Moderna 28 days after the first shot.
There is very limited data on how effective the vaccines are if someone does not get the second dose.
Other vaccines in development require only one dose, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet been approved for emergency use.
How long does it take to work?
The CDC says it takes about a week or two after the second dose to get the maximum benefit from both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Because the vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to fight the virus, it takes your body a while to build up your immunity.
When do teachers get the vaccine?
In Alabama, teachers are included in Phase 1b of the state vaccination plan. Alabama is currently in Phase 1a. Some stocks already offer the vaccine to limited populations included in phase 1b, as the stock allows.
No one knows when the state as a whole will go to phase 1b, but several sources told AL.com they expect it to happen in January.
Is it safe?
The approved COVID vaccinations have been proven safe by clinical safety trials involving tens of thousands of participants. There are some possible side effects, including rare allergic reactions.
The CDC recommends monitoring people who receive the vaccine for 15-30 minutes to ensure that there is no allergic reaction and is implementing a new V-safe program to monitor people receiving the vaccine in the long term to to look at side effects.
Does it work?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both showed more than 95 percent efficacy after two doses. A very small number of patients who received the vaccine in trials still received COVID.
Do I still have to wear a mask after getting the vaccine?
Yes. We do not yet know if it is possible to spread COVID-19 after vaccination or how long immunity will last.
How did Alabama decide who is first?
The state follows the CDC’s plan that balances the protection of the most vulnerable Americans with the preservation of society. Alabama gives hospitals and local officials discretion to move between the recommended phases of the CDC as needed.
Will my employer require me to get a vaccine?
It depends. The state does not demand that employees be vaccinated, nor do the hospitals in Alabama. Private employers have the right to require employees to receive a vaccine.
Will I be required to have a vaccination passport in Alabama?
No. State health officials say there is no plan to require vaccination passports.