‘Huge Number’ Of Jeffco Residents Soon Eligible For COVID Vaccines

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/01/Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1438;s:6:"height";i:801;s:4:"file";s:63:"2021/01/Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581.png";s:5:"sizes";a:17:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-336x187.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:187;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-771x429.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:429;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-768x428.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:428;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:61:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-558x311.png";s:5:"width";i:558;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-470x262.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:262;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"gb-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"web-stories-poster-portrait";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-640x801.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:801;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:28:"web-stories-poster-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-853x640.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"web-stories-poster-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:63:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-640x640.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-publisher-logo";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:61:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:21:"web-stories-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:62:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-e1611274715581-150x84.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:84;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_rs_image_updated] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1611274722:113
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:18:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1438;s:6:"height";i:800;s:4:"file";s:40:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-336x187.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:187;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-768x427.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:427;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-771x429.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:429;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-559x311.png";s:5:"width";i:559;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-470x261.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:261;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:33:"gb-block-post-grid-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-600x400.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:30:"gb-block-post-grid-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:32:"web-stories-poster-portrait-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-640x800.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:800;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:33:"web-stories-poster-landscape-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-853x640.png";s:5:"width";i:853;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:30:"web-stories-poster-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-640x640.png";s:5:"width";i:640;s:6:"height";i:640;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:31:"web-stories-publisher-logo-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:46:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-96x96.png";s:5:"width";i:96;s:6:"height";i:96;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:26:"web-stories-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"Screen_Shot_2021-01-21_at_6.08.53_PM-150x83.png";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:83;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => UAB Medicine
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 113
        )

)
1616976165 
1612544827

Starting Monday, Alabama is expanding eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccinations to include all residents aged 65 and older, plus several groups including educators and grocery workers. 

In Jefferson County, that means almost one-third of residents will be eligible to receive a vaccine, according to county health officer Dr. Mark Wilson.

“This next group of people … is a huge number of people,” Wilson said during a news conference Friday. “At the same time, our vaccine supply is still very, very limited.”

Wilson said providers in Jefferson County are prepared to administer more vaccine doses than what are currently available. He said many people, despite being eligible, will have to wait weeks and even months to get a shot. 

Wilson said he is also “very concerned” about equity in vaccine distribution. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) determines which providers receive doses, and Wilson said the Jefferson County Department of Health is talking with ADPH officials about equal allocation throughout the county. 

This week, UAB Hospital launched a community vaccination site at the Hoover Met and another site at Parker High School in Birmingham will open Thursday. 

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the Parker High School location will help expand access to more residents, though there remain many challenges to getting people vaccinated. 

“It’s extremely important to have a site in the inner city,” Woodfin said during a press conference Friday. “I think that is then coupled with communication around this site’s availability. And then thirdly, let’s make sure people can get to the testing site.” 

An appointment is required for all UAB vaccination sites and most appointments are currently booked through February 14. 

Officials encourage anyone who is eligible to sign up online at UAB’s website, to be contacted when an appointment is available. 

 

BSC’s Daniel Coleman talks about his years-long effort to save the school and what happens next.

After the news that Birmingham-Southern College is closing, we sat down with the school’s president, Daniel Coleman.

IVF could help her start the family she wants. Will Alabama’s personhood law derail it?

Despite a law meant to protect IVF in Alabama, patients and advocates worry the protections won’t hold — and warn of future attacks on reproductive rights.

Struggling Birmingham-Southern College says it will close at end of May

The College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close the longtime institution, officials announced in a news release. The announcement came after legislation, aimed at securing a taxpayer-backed loan for the 168-year-old private college, had recently stalled in the Alabama Statehouse.

What happens when a rural hospital shuts its doors? Look to Pickens County

Residents in the west Alabama county warn that the lack of emergency care can have deadly consequences. It's a fate that could befall a growing number of rural communities.

Q&A: A bad deal made Jackson’s water problems worse. It wasn’t the only Mississippi city harmed

Reporter Sarah Fowler talks about her investigation that found at least eight Mississippi cities were harmed by deals over faulty smart water meters.

What issues are driving you to the polls this year?

What issues are top of mind as you head to the polls this year? What do you want the candidates to be talking about?

More Coronavirus Coverage