Williamson said while staff is still stretched thin, transfers are also improving. He said the state is now able to transfer patients to other hospitals again, it just is not happening as quickly as he would like.
This week Alabama received about 6,600 doses of monoclonal antibodies. The cost of the drug is covered, but you can expect to pay some administrative costs if you seek the treatment.
Health leaders continue to tell us that the key to recovery is for more people to get vaccinated. With Alabama having one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, what’s the best way to convince those who are still hesitant about getting the shot to change their minds?
Danika Barrett comes to Princeton Baptist every day for a window visit with her husband, Brian, who is battling COVID-19 and on a ventilator. Danika said she and her family believe in the power of prayer and she feels it daily. She said, “It has been overwhelming the people who pray for us.”
Platinum of Birmingham on 2nd Avenue North will offer the COVID vaccine from 8 p.m. to midnight in cooperation with the Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable and Medsplus Consulting.
UAB hosted a webinar Monday answering questions about flu season and the latest COVID-19 updates. Doctors said only a handful of flu cases have been reported so far, but flu season will be here soon and they want to make sure you have protection against both the flu and COVID.
State health leaders are urging pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine after seeing more expectant mothers hospitalized with the virus this past week.
UAB officials said they are reversing the vaccine mandate while they wait for details from the government about a potential federal mandate, but state leaders said this reversal wont make a huge impact right now.
There are now more places across Jefferson County to get a Covid-19 vaccine with UAB reopening one of its mass vaccination sites this week and gearing up to open one more next week.
UAB Health System leaders said they will wait for the detailed federal guidance to develop a replacement vaccine policy in order to ensure full compliance with federal law.
Dr. Harris said 2020 will be the first year in the history of Alabama where there were more deaths than births. There were 64,714 deaths (still preliminary) and 57,641 births. Harris said, “It’s never been close before.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that monoclonal antibodies for treatment of COVID-19 are temporarily under allocation and must be tracked by healthcare providers to ensure they are distributed where needed.
Pfizer’s CEO says the company plans to submit data to the FDA by the end of September or early October about how the vaccine works in children 5 - 11 years old.
UAB reopened its vaccination site at the Hoover Met on Wednesday. UAB closed their four mass vaccination drive-thru sites earlier this year after the drop in demand for shots.
President Joe Biden’s mandate that businesses with a hundred or more employees must require the COVID vaccination is not yet in effect, but once OSHA issues the new emergency rules, many expect the mandate will face legal challenges.
President Joe Biden unveiled a six-pronged plan Thursday outlining aggressive efforts to get more people vaccinated. State health leaders said we are doing a little better with our vaccination numbers here in Alabama, but we still lag behind a lot of the nation.
Dr. Landers said health leaders are expecting more data to be released within the next few weeks on how much booster shots will boost immunity and what activities will be safe after getting the shot.
President Biden announced new vaccine mandates Thursday to push more people to get the COVID protection. It specifically includes federal government employees and federal contractors.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham and UAB Medicine will be opening two drive-through COVID-19 vaccination locations this month at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Sept. 15, and at Faith Chapel in Ensley on Sept. 22.
Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the state continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases, an increase in positive cases in school-aged children and a continued deficit in ICU beds for COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Wesley Willeford said after getting an mRNA vaccine, the body does remember the message and can develop the antibodies needed to fight COVID-19, but the antibodies may not be strong enough.
State Health Officer Scott Harris said the state continues to be in a difficult place with near-record level hospitalizations and a record number of virus patients in intensive care. But he said they are encouraged by the recent uptick in vaccinations.
AARP is expressing concern about the rollout of COVID boosters. The organization sent a letter to Gov. Kay Ivey and other leaders urging them to come up with a comprehensive plan for the third COVID-19 shot.
Bessemer Schools Superintendent Dr. Autumm Jeter said the students engaged in their First Amendment rights by stepping out of the classroom to protest. Jeter said she and school leaders acknowledge the students’ rights and she thanked them for being peaceful.
