UAB Closes Three COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Sites While Alabama’s Vaccination Rate Remains Below 50%
UAB announced Thursday it’s closing three of its four public mass vaccination sites because of a decline in participation.
“We’ve really seen demand waning. It’s dropped like a rock at our vaccine sites,” said Dr. Sarah Nafziger, head of UAB Hospital’s Clinical Services. “And I am super concerned about that because we don’t have enough Alabamians vaccinated yet.”
Alabama remains at the bottom for vaccination rates with roughly 41% of adults having received at least one vaccine, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“It’s very expensive to keep these sites up and running. If we don’t have patients here, we’re going to have to collapse them down,” Nafziger said.
These vaccination sites cost roughly $1.4 million a month to operate, according to Nafziger. She says UAB would rather focus its resources on smaller pop-up clinics.
“We have data that’s showing us areas where there are people who really need [the] vaccine, who have been underserved,” Nafziger explained.
What Vaccination Sites Are Closing:
- Hoover Met – closes May 18
- Cathedral of the Cross AOH Church in Center Point – closes May 28
- Parker High School – closes June 18
If you received the first dose at one of these clinics, you can receive your second dose at the public vaccination site at UAB Hospital-Highlands, which will remain open for scheduled vaccination appointments, for now.
UAB also plans to open a new injection clinic on Monday, May 17, at 539 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., in the former Regions Bank retail space at the corner of The Kirklin Clinic parking deck. Other popup clinics on campus are in the works.
Alabama Remains Under Vaccinated
Roughly 25% of Alabamians are fully vaccinated. Nafziger said the recent expansion to offer the Pfizer vaccine to youth 12 years and older should bump up the state’s overall vaccine rate. Since these kids must be accompanied by an adult, Nafziger hopes this will encourage other family members to get the vaccine if they haven’t already.
“If we don’t get more people vaccinated, COVID is going to stick around,” said Nafziger. “And what that means is we won’t be able to get back to normal – the travel we want to do, the gatherings we want to have. They’re going to be hampered.”
On Thursday, the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidelines that say people who are fully vaccinated no longer needs to wear a mask indoors or outdoors – except when traveling on public transit, visiting a hospital or under requirements by local government, businesses and workplaces. This expansion explicitly states that unvaccinated individuals can still contract the virus and get sick.
Nafziger said this means Alabama is not in the clear and could still see another surge in cases. She said this not only could cause more deaths related to the virus but could also cause hospitals to once again cancel elective surgeries or local governments to implement new masking mandates.
Editor’s Note: UAB holds WBHM’s broadcast license, but our news and business departments operate independently.
As deadline for Trump’s colleges compact looms, schools signal dissent
Of the original nine schools that received the Trump administration's Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, the majority have indicated they are not planning on signing.
Can collagen supplements improve your skin? Here’s what the research shows
With age comes wisdom. And wrinkles. And joint pain. In wellness circles, the buzz is that collagen supplements can help with all these concerns. But are these claims something you should swallow?
Centrist Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivia’s presidential runoff, topping right-wing rival
Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz won Bolivia's presidency with 54% of the vote, ending 20 years of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party amid economic turmoil.
Trump announces tariffs and an end to U.S. aid to Colombia amid clash over drug trade
The U.S. will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country's leader, Gustavo Petro, "does nothing to stop" drug production, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
Sam Rivers, bassist and founding member of Limp Bizkit, dies aged 48
"Sam Rivers wasn't just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound," Limp Bizkit said in a social media post Saturday.
Israel strikes Gaza as both IDF and Hamas accuse each other of breaching ceasefire
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it responded after "terrorists" attacked troops operating in the Rafah area with gunfire and an anti-tank missile. Hamas said it was unaware of the clashes.
