Website Launched for Alabamians to Plan COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments, Check for Appropriateness
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on Monday announced a website that state citizens can use to see if they are eligible for the coronavirus vaccines, and if so, an appointment can be scheduled for one To receive.
The website, similar to the existing vaccination hotline, only allows members of the public to schedule an appointment with their local health department. If no appointments are available, individuals can sign up to be notified when more vaccine products are delivered to their area.
The web portal also links to a map where entry and exit clinics are located that do not require an appointment.
The provincial health departments where the portal can schedule an appointment are often not the only place in an area that dispenses vaccine doses; some shots are given to hospitals and other providers with their own scheduling system.
Jefferson County operates an independent COVID-19 vaccination process from the rest of the state. It has set up a separate hotline to link to, and a web portal that can only be used by residents of the country.
Currently, health workers, people 75 and older, and first responders are eligible to receive the vaccine in Alabama.
On February 8, the qualification will expand to anyone over the age of 65 and a number of categories of front-line workers.
All providers must adhere to the ADPH rules for which the vaccine is eligible.
Both vaccines currently approved for public use require two shots that are given a few weeks apart.
Vaccinations in Alabama remain rare. Currently, about 400,000 unused doses have been delivered to the state, but ADPH says that almost all of them are waiting for second doses for their designated recipient to go in the right time window to get their second chance.
The first few doses out there in the state have probably already been given to someone with an appointment.
The new website to plan a vaccination at a health department can be found here.
A map of all places in Alabama that are certified to issue vaccine doses can be found here. However, users should click on the “Vaccine Providers” tab at the bottom of the page to see it.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @ HenryThornton95.