Alabama National Guard to be deployed to help administer vaccines in rural counties

The Alabama National Guard will be deployed around rural Alabama to help the state administer the COVID vaccine to 8,000 people a week starting March 23.

The guard has been activated by Gov. Kay Ivey as part of the state's COVID response to set up mobile vaccination sites in at least 24 counties. Which counties have not been announced, but it is expected many of these sites would be in the Black Belt. 

The National Guard and the Alabama Department of Public Health will be working closely with local EMAs to determine the sites and logistics. The Governor’s Office will provide that information once determined.

The ALNG is capable of fielding two mobile vaccination teams with a capacity of at least 1,000 vaccinations per site, per day Monday through Thursday, for a total of 8,000 doses a week. The ADPH, county health departments and local law enforcement will also provide support. The ALNG will have the ability to send two teams of 55 persons each.

Gov. Ivey said in a statement, “As we continue ramping up our vaccine distribution efforts, the guardsmen will play a critical role in reaching folks in rural areas of Alabama. We want to use every tool in our toolkit so that we can get COVID-19 behind us once and for all. The Guard and Public Health will be working closely with county emergency management officials to determine the sites, and we will be sharing that information once it is finalized. Please take advantage of this resource if you are able, but I continue urging patience as we continue working to get our hands on more supplies from the federal government. Folks, we can have hope, because, finally, we can see the end of COVID-19.”