Thursday’s drive-thru vaccine clinic will focus on first responders, healthcare frontline providers and healthcare frontline support workers in accordance with state health plans, according to Gadsden-Etowah EMA Director Deborah Gaither.

“It would be wonderful if the Etowah County Department of Public Health had an unlimited amount of vaccines to distribute, but sadly, they do not,” Gaither said. “The limited number of vaccines are not caused by your local health department or your local emergency management agency.

“One of our area hospitals still does not have their requested allotment of vaccines for their healthcare employees, so the vaccine rollout is slow for all. We ask that all please be patient with the efforts of your local hospitals, agencies and departments to try and distribute the VERY limited amount of vaccines that are provided to your local health department,” Gaither continued.

The COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru will be held from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at The Venue (201 George Wallace Drive, Gadsden), or while supplies last. Attendees should follow instructions and stay inside your vehicles.

The drive-thru clinic is focused on Etowah County First Responders (EMS, fire and law enforcement), Etowah County healthcare frontline providers and healthcare frontline support workers (if not provided to healthcare workers by one of our local hospitals).

The Alabama Department of Public Health lists those workers in sections 1a. and 1b. of their Allocation Plan listed below.

Teachers who do not have a comorbidity or a weakened immune system are encouraged to wait until the next round of vaccines if possible, due to limited availability.

The anticipated next round of vaccines will be within four weeks of Thursday’s drive-thru clinic date.

Here is the current list of 1.a. and 1.b.

1.a.

· Those who perform aerosol‐generating procedures.

· Frontline health workers, including clinical and non‐clinical workers in hospitals, nursing homes, EMS, or those providing in‐home or mental health care directly.

· Healthcare workers or laboratory personnel collecting or handling potential SARS‐CoV‐2 specimens.

· Pathologists performing autopsies on persons known or suspected to have had SARS‐CoV‐2 at the time of death.

· Other health care workers who perform activities, such as transportation or environmental services who risk exposure to bodily fluids or aerosols.

· Other essential personnel with high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS‐CoV‐2 such as mortuary services

· Persons providing direct patient care

· Persons working in critical healthcare services who have direct contact with the general public, such as pharmacists.

· Others with outpatient exposure risks such as non‐hospital based physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, laboratorians, other providers and ancillary support staff in additional settings private offices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, County Health Departments, subspecialties, mental health and treatment centers

1.b.

· Essential workers at highest risk for work related exposure

· Persons in identified age groups at risk for COVID 19 associated morbidity and mortality

· Persons age 75 years or older

· Frontline essential workers [Defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security‐First responders (firefighters and police officers) corrections officers, Food and agriculture workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the education sector (teachers, school nursing staff, school support staff members) as well as child care workers. ]

· Living in congregate settings including but not limited to homeless shelters, group homes, prisons, or jail.

· First responders including firefighters and law enforcement.