Contributed by EAMC
One of the signs most visible upon arriving at the Community Vaccine Clinic says “Please remain in your vehicle until within 10 minutes of your appointment time.” That may not sound like an important request, but it’s almost as critical as having an appointment.
“With us now vaccinating about 1,000 people a day, we have 33 people scheduled every 15 minutes,” said John Atkinson, EAMC spokesman. “It’s like a well-oiled machine; it runs on things being consistent. When people arrive too early, the registration area gets backed up and it has a trickle effect on the rest of the clinic.”
Atkinson said people are probably arriving early because they see long lines on national news and they think they will have to wait in line at this location also.
“From start to finish, a person’s vaccination experience at our clinic should be about 25 minutes total — five minutes registering, five minutes at a vaccination table and then 15 minutes of monitoring,” he said. “This is one healthcare setting where there is no waiting room.”
COVID BY THE NUMBERS
55 – patients hospitalized today at EAMC
8 – patients on ventilators
7 to 12 – The range of positivity rates between EAMC’s testing center, Emergency Departments and AU Medical Clinic. This is much better than prior months where we were routinely between 15% to 25%.
31 – The percentage that COVID hospitalizations are down in Alabama over the past two weeks
684 – Number of patients who have received monoclonal antibodies in the Covid Infusion Center
32 – Number of patients receiving monoclonal antibodies who had to be hospitalized (4.7%)
16,737 — Vaccine shots given since December 15.
EXPANDING VACCINE ELIGIBILITY
The following groups are currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Alabama (per ADPH):
Ages 65 and greater
Corrections officers
Food and agriculture workers*
U.S. Postal Service workers**
Manufacturing workers
Grocery store workers
Public transit workers***
Education sector (teachers, support staff, higher education)
Childcare workers
Judiciary (including but not limited to) circuit judges, district judges and district attorneys
First responders
Healthcare workers
*ADPH describes this group as those engaged in the production and supply of food products. Please note that “food service” workers are in Phase 1C which has not been opened yet.
**Our interpretation is that other delivery services fall under “Transportation and Logistics” in Phase 1C.
***Our interpretation is that this applies to mass public transit, such as busses, and does not apply to individually operated vehicles.
For the latest COVID-19 vaccine information from EAMC, visit www.eamc.org/patient-and-guests/covid-19-information/
Governor Ivey’s Vaccine Allocation Plan is available at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19vaccine/assets/adph-covid19-vaccination-allocation-plan.pdf.