Birmingham VA Expands Vaccine Program; More Doses Still Key

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Birmingham VA Health Care System is expanding its ability to vaccinate veterans against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, provided it can get enough doses of the vaccine.

A partnership with the United Way of Central Alabama will allow the agency to provide as many as 1,000 shots a day beginning Monday to veterans who are at least 65 years old, the VA said. That’s up from the current daily total of 300 people.

The change comes because the VA’s vaccine clinic is moving into a United Way building in downtown Birmingham. Chief executive Stacy Vasquez said the system will schedule as many veterans as it can for shots, but obtaining additional vaccine is key.

The VA’s vaccination program operates on a separate track than the one administered by the Alabama Department of Public Health, which is offering vaccines for people 75 and older. It, too, is in need of additional vaccine.

(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)