[ad_1]
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will open two new sites in the coming weeks to provide COVID-19 vaccines to eligible people in Alabama, said Dr Sarah Nafziger, vice president of clinical support services at UAB Medicine.
A site at the Hoover Met will open on February 2 by appointment for people 75 and over. Another AH Parker high school site will also open soon. Nafziger said UAB officials are still working on the details of the Parker High School location.
The two sites will join the health system’s existing drive-thru vaccination clinic at UAB Highlands, which vaccinates eligible UAB patients against COVID since January 18. eligibility for certain essential workers and persons aged 65 to 74. It starts on February 8.
“Now, of course, with the opening of these vaccine eligibility groups, more and more people will be able to sign up for the vaccine,” Nafziger said.
UAB will work with the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency to schedule appointments for people who are not UAB patients. People who have already registered through UAB or the Jefferson County call center and website for vaccines do not need to re-register, Nafziger said.
“There is no need to do it again,” Nafziger said. “It won’t serve you any faster and it will slow down the process as we need to remove duplicate entries from the system.”
Nafziger urged people to use online portals and vaccine helplines. She urged the family to check on older relatives and friends who may not have internet access to help them sign up for the vaccine. People should not call UAB Hospital to make an appointment for a vaccine because its call center can be overwhelmed.
“It happened when the 75 and over group was announced,” Nafziger said. “We actually had a hard time at the hospital because our call center had a lot of people calling to ask about the vaccines and this caused delays so that we could make some of the phone calls we needed to. do for patient care.
Nafziger said UAB will have the capacity to deliver up to 17,000 vaccines per week with unlimited supply. Currently, the vaccine supply from the federal government is limited. She said the vaccine supply will likely increase in the coming months.
So far, UAB has not had a serious vaccine reaction among health workers and older patients who have received injections at its clinic.
“The vast majority of people have a sore arm, a little sore muscle,” Nafziger said. “Some people have reported a mild fever. I just feel a little gross for about a day. The vast majority of people say these symptoms go away within 24 hours. “
For those still ineligible for a vaccination, she urged patience. The vaccine rollout in Alabama started slowly, but Nafziger said vendors are working hard to get vaccines to everyone who qualifies.
“We are ready as soon as the doses are there,” Nafziger said. “If you want the vaccine, guess what, we want you to get the vaccine. Every health care provider in the state desperately wants you to have it. “
[ad_2]
Source link