From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: The state will roughly double the number of people eligible to receive immunizations against COVID-19 this month even though there’s still not enough vaccine for everyone who qualifies for a shot, the head of the state health agency said Friday. Dr. Scott Harris, the state health officer, said everyone 65 and older, educators, court officials, corrections officers, postal employees, grocery store workers, some manufacturing workers, public transit workers, agriculture employees, state legislators and constitutional officers will be eligible to get vaccinations when the program expands Feb. 8. Currently, only people 75 and older, first responders, health care workers and long-term care residents are eligible. The state has been hearing complaints that more people aren’t allowed to get in line for shots. The change means as many as 1.5 million people in the state will qualify for shots, up from about 700,000 currently, Harris said during a media briefing. But there still won’t be enough vaccine. Harris pleaded with healthier, younger people who are at reduced risk for the virus to let others go first. Expanding eligibility to 1.5 million people would require 3 million doses, when the state has been getting about 60,000 first doses a week.