COVID-19

Health Officials Launch New Vaccination Initiative For College Football Fans, Urge Precautions For Labor Day

The Alabama Department of Health is launching a new vaccination campaign at college football games across the state.

‘I Don’t Know How Much Longer We Can Do This’: Alabama State Health Officer Frustrated As COVID Cases Surge

Alabama is in a “crisis situation” with a surge in case numbers and hospitalizations, particularly in school-aged children, according to State Health Officer, Dr. Scott Harris.

From Optimistic To Anxious: How College Students In The Gulf South Feel About Returning To Campus

College students from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi share their thoughts as a new school year in the pandemic begins.

Amid ICU Shortage, Alabama Hospitals See Record-Breaking Pediatric Caseload

Alabama's hospitals are caring for more children with COVID-19 than ever before, the latest development in an increasingly dire situation for the state's health care system.

Alabama’s Frontline Providers: ‘We Are Overworked And We Are Frustrated’

Amid a fourth, more rapid surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, Alabama health care providers share stories from inside hospitals across the state.

Alabama’s COVID Hospitalizations On Track To Surpass Winter Surge

State hospitals may soon be caring for more coronavirus patients than ever before. Many are already diverting resources to keep up with the surge.

Birmingham Hospital Leaders: COVID Surge ‘Heartbreaking … And Largely Preventable’

Statewide hospitalizations for COVID-19 topped 1,700 Wednesday, fueled by the highly-contagious delta variant.

Alabama Sees ‘Unprecedented’ Surge In COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the increase is linked to the more contagious Delta variant, coupled with Alabama’s low vaccination rate.

Indian Immigrants in Mississippi ‘Frustrated’ As Loved Ones Suffer In COVID-19 Surge Abroad

Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. and doses are going to waste. Other countries, such as India, are still struggling with high deaths and low vaccine supply.

COVID Hospitalizations Among Elderly Now Fewer Than Young Adults

Vaccine rates statewide have fallen significantly over the past six weeks. Public health leaders are grappling with how to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

Starting Thursday, UAB To Offer Pfizer Vaccine To Adolescents

The Pfizer COVID-19 shot was found to be 100% effective in preventing disease among children aged 12 to 15 years old.

New Orleans’ Return To Cultural Parades Is A Step Toward Healing In The South

In April, Mardi Gras Indians held a funeral and parade for one of their own – one of a few large cultural events to occur since the pandemic started and most large events in the region were canceled.

UAB Health System CEO: ‘It really was that bleak.’

CEO Will Ferniany will end his health care career having led the organization through the coronavirus pandemic. He plans to retire later this year.

Gov. Kay Ivey Announces ‘Safer Apart’ Order As Mask Mandate Ends

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued a proclamation transitioning the state from an amended Safer at Home Order to a new Safer Apart Order.

Businesses React To Birmingham’s New Mask Order

A local ordinance replaces the statewide mask order expiring April 9. Some say the move is necessary, but others call it an "undue burden."

Alabama Expands COVID Vaccine Eligibility To Those 16 And Older

That means a total of about four million Alabamians will be eligible starting Monday.

A Vaccination Event For Commercial Fishers Offers Lessons On How To Reel In At-Risk Communities

As the rollout expands, health officials and community leaders are learning more about how to make sure the vaccine is not only available, but truly accessible for at-risk groups.

Alabama Deploys Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Units To Rural Areas

All eligible Alabamians in these 24 rural counties can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday.

Alabama Plans To Open Vaccine Eligibility By May 1, But Hesitancy Remains A Problem

About one-third of adults in Alabama are hesitant to get the vaccine, according to polling by the state department of public health.

Biden Administration Pushes To Vaccinate All Americans Against COVID-19

The White House said officials are working through issues of access and vaccine hesitancy.

UAB To Open New Vaccination Site And Update Demographic Data

The vaccination site located at AOH Cathedral of the Cross in northeast Birmingham is a drive-thru site, but only eligible residents can sign up for an appointment.

A Year Like No Other: COVID-19 In The Gulf States

In a special broadcast one year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, reporters from public radio stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana reflect on the toll it’s taken on the region.

Birmingham VA Offers Vaccines To Eligible Veterans of All Ages

The agency announced the change on Wednesday.

ADPH Plans Mobile Vaccination Clinics For Black Belt Region

State health officials hope to administer more vaccines to residents of rural areas.

Ivey Extends Face Mask Order But Not For Long

Gov. Ivey leaves face mask order alone for now, but says it will end April 9.

UAB And JeffCo To Expand Vaccine Outreach In Underrepresented Communities

As of Wednesday, UAB had administered roughly 80,000 vaccine doses, but Black residents remain disproportionately underrepresented.

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Count Nears 10,000 Mark

Within about a year, the state has lost almost 10,000 Alabamians to COVID-19.

UAB Officials Hopeful Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Could Accelerate Rollout

UAB health experts say when it comes to vaccine variety, more is better. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the latest to win approval from the federal government.

Alabama’s COVID Vaccination Rate Increases

Federal programs have helped increase the number of Alabamians getting vaccinated in recent weeks.

“The Edge of the Woods”: UAB Epidemiologist Says Herd Immunity Could Be Reached By Late Spring

An epidemiologist at UAB Medicine thinks that Alabama may be headed toward a long-sought goal in the COVID pandemic and may reach that goal sooner than many had expected.

Black Residents Call For More COVID Vaccine Outreach And Access

Concerned about disparities in vaccine allocation, Birmingham community leaders want officials to increase outreach efforts in Black neighborhoods.