Alabama To Expand COVID Vaccine Eligibility March 22
In less than two weeks, Alabama will roughly double the number of people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Beginning March 22, eligibility will expand to include people aged 55 and older, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people aged 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions including:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD
- Heart conditions
- Solid organ transplant
- Obesity (BMI greater than 30)
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 1 and 2 diabetes
- Other medical conditions as determined by your medical provider
Eligibility will also expand to include critical workers in the following areas:
- Transportation and logistics
- Waste and wastewater
- Food service (includes restaurant staff)
- Shelter and housing (construction)
- Finance (bank tellers)
- Information technology and communication
- Energy
- Legal
- Media
- Public safety (engineers)
During a press conference Friday morning, Alabama Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said health officials have faced public pressure to expand eligibility criteria following similar announcements in surrounding states.
“I recognize that there are a number of people in our currently eligible groups who are still having some difficulty finding vaccinations,” Harris said. “And so I’m sure many of those folks are going to ask, ‘Why would we expand at this time?’ But we do believe that it’s the right time.”
Harris said Alabama currently receives 110,000-120,000 vaccine doses per week from the federal government and the state expects the supply to increase in coming weeks. He said the number of providers administering vaccine is also increasing, with help from federal programs operating in Walmart and CVS Pharmacies.
Harris said the state remains concerned about equity in vaccine distribution and is prioritizing the state’s most vulnerable counties. As of this week, he said the top nine counties for vaccinations per capita are all in the Black Belt.
“They are the ones (counties) where we have spent the most effort trying to make sure we have access to shots,” Harris said.
The expansion of eligibility criteria will coincide with the launch of National Guard mobile vaccination clinics that will rotate through 24 rural counties beginning March 23.
Immigration enforcement ramps up, tensions persist in big cities
Cities prepare for nationwide protests on Saturday.
Federal judge says he could release Mahmoud Khalil as soon as this week
Judge Michael Farbiarz said the government cannot keep Khalil detained based on its accusation that he threatens U.S. foreign policy goals. But the judge gave the government time to appeal.
RFK Jr. names new slate of vaccine advisers after purging CDC panel
Two days after firing vaccine experts who help set the nation's immunization policies, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has picked eight successors for the CDC panel.
Leaders of ‘orgasmic meditation’ company were convicted of forced labor: What to know
OneTaste billed itself as a sexual wellness business centered on "orgasmic meditation." Prosecutors said former leaders subjected victims to sexual and emotional abuse.
LA braces for Marines as California sues to stop military involvement
With the federalized National Guard deployed against the state's wishes and the Marines on the way to L.A., there are growing concerns about the policing role of the military.
In Miami, deportations are raising concerns among Cuban-Americans
South Florida's Cuban-American community supports President Trump, but some members are uneasy with his immigration policies. "I'm not for deporting people without criminal records."