Alabama does not expect a major increase in COVID-19 vaccine transportation soon, said Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer, said today.
This means that the supply for the shots will still not meet the demand. But there is a process to ensure that people who receive their first dose are not denied the second shot, officials said today.
Both vaccines given in Alabama, which are manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna, require two shots. For Pfizer, the second dose comes three weeks after the first dose. For Moderna, the time between shots is four weeks.
Harris said that when a provider gives a chance, it reports to the state’s vaccination database and to the federal program called Vaccine Finder.
“That’s what caused the award, Alabama’s award,” Harris said. “It adds another chance that Alabama is entitled to receive, and it begins the timeline of when it will receive it, before the three-week roster for Pfizer or before the four-week roster for Moderna.”
Jamey Durham, director of the Bureau of Prevention, Promotion and Support for the Department of Public Health in Alabama, said the state receives second doses about a week before it is scheduled to be administered.
Assistant State Health Officer, dr. Karen Landers, said vendors should plan second shots when first given. People also receive a vaccination card after receiving it for the first time.
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