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The pool of people eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Alabama will expand today to include people 65 years of age and older and those working in a variety of job fields.
Employees in restaurants and bars will have to wait, however.
Eligibility begins today “essential front-line workers” such as correctional officers; postal workers; workers in manufacturing, grocery stores and public transportation; people working in the education sector, including teachers; child care workers; and members of the judiciary. The list also includes food and agricultural workers who, according to Dr. Karen Landers of the Alabama Department of Public Health, are those “engaged in the production and supply of good products, including grocery store workers ”.
“Right now, due to the vaccine supply, it is important for entities to prioritize within their own groups, as some employees have greater exposure risks than others. Restaurant and bar workers are not part of this group, ”Landers said.
Alabama has started its immunization program with seniors, healthcare workers, residents and staff in long-term care facilities. People aged 75 and over and first responders were then added, with the latest addition bringing the total number of people in the state eligible for the vaccine to around 1.5 million.
Food service workers belong to group 1C which includes employees in transportation and logistics, waste and sewage, construction, finance, information and communication technology, energy, legal, media and public security.
Alabama does not have a timeline for when it will move on to the next group and said it will likely be the summer before the vaccine becomes widely available. Alabama currently receives around 55,000 to 60,000 doses of the vaccine per week and state health worker Dr. Scott Harris continues to urge patience as people wait their turn.
“If you qualify for a vaccine, we’ll get you one,” Harris said at a press conference last week. “It will still take some time, however, to get enough (vaccine) into the state. It will not happen immediately for everyone. “
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