Iris and David Long of Glencoe waited in line Thursday to get their second-dose COVID-19 vaccinations, under far different circumstances than when they received the first. Oh my goodness, Iris Long said. It s completely different. We just came when it was our time.
This second-dose clinic at The Venue at Coosa Landing called on people to come during specified time frames, grouped by the first letters of their last names eliminating the need to line up hours early, competing for a limited number of vaccines.
The Longs waited in line more than five hours that day, but they did get vaccinations.
Etowah County Leaders pushing to get more COVID-19 vaccines
Etowah County s vaccine problem By Randi Hildreth | February 4, 2021 at 6:16 AM CST - Updated February 4 at 6:16 AM
ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Etowah County leaders are trying to figure out why theyâre not getting more COVID vaccine doses after they say the state told them donât expect more shipments until possibly March.
âWe have a second dose vaccine clinic set for tomorrow, but after that there are very minimal first dose opportunities,â said Deborah Gaither, Gadsden Etowah County EMA Director. âWe were told it would be like that during the month of February. We could potentially get more vaccine in March.â
Supply continues to be the controlling factor in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to Alabamians, as Alabama Public Health reports demand for the vaccine greatly exceeds the number of doses available in the state.
The health department has approved vaccination of people 75 and older as vaccination of health care providers and first responders, including police and firefighters, continues.
According to APH, there are more than 326,000 health care providers in the state and almost 350,000 people 75 or older. Combined, those people alone exceed the 640,150 doses of vaccine currently allocated for Alabama by more than 25,000s.
So far, only 446,150 doses of vaccine have been delivered to the state, and according to the last count from APH, 158,116 of those had been administered by Wednesday, with efforts continuing statewide.
Gadsden/Etowah County Emergency Management Agency Director Deborah Gaither said additional COVID-19 vaccination clinic dates have not been set yet, as the agencies involved are working to develop a better logistical setup for wide distribution of the vaccine.
For those first responders and health care providers vaccinated on Dec. 29 at the Etowah County Health Department, however, the second shot is lined up: from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 27, at the same location.
Gaither said those who received a first dose of vaccine in December will get a text message or phone call to set a time for vaccinations.
For those who received the vaccine at the larger clinic conducted Jan. 7 at The Venue at Coosa Landing, work still is underway to plan for and set up a second-dose clinic, she said.
Gadsden/Etowah County Emergency Management Agency Director Deborah Gaither said Thursday s COVID-19 vaccination effort went fair, allowing room for improvement in the process.
The agency worked with the Etowah County Health Department in a drive-thru vaccination effort for first responders, health care providers and people 75 or older that administered vaccine to between 450 and 500 people, Gaither told members of the Gadsden City Council on Tuesday.
She said it s important to remember this is the first time anyone involved has participated in a vaccination effort of this scope.
There were long lines that snarled traffic in East Gadsden around The Venue at Coosa Landing, and some people waited in lines for hours with some leaving cars to go for a bathroom break at nearby businesses, or leaving the line entirely if they couldn t leave their car only to be turned away when the supply of vaccine ran out.