Vaccine availability on upswing

Published 9:03 pm Monday, March 15, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As of Monday, 7,750 total coronavirus vaccines had been administered in Pike County.

That’s 18.5 percent of the population which is on par with the state at 19.5 percent,” said Corey Kirkland, administrator of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Southeast District. “Of that number, 2,673 people have completed the vaccination with the remainder having had one dose.”

Kirkland said during the month of March, the Pike County Health Department is administering first doses of the Moderna vaccine so April will be dedicated to the second shot.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

“Other sites around the county are administering the Pfizer and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines,” he said. “Some people question which vaccine provides the best protection but what I would say is to get the vaccine that is most available. All three provide protection against the coronavirus so I wouldn’t wait around trying to get one over the other. The important thing is to get vaccinated.”

Kirkland said, with the release of the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, there are more opportunities available. Recent sites in Pike County include two in the Brundidge area.

Two hundred doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered at Brundidge City Hall on Saturday. Already 150 appointments have been made. The number to call for an appointment is 334-735-2385.

Pike Drug Company in Brundidge is administering the Johnson & Johnson, or the one-and-done vaccine. As of Monday, 150 doses of the drug were available. The number to call for an appointment is 334-536-0205.

“Governor Kay Ivey has said there will be more drive-thru opportunities around the state including Pike County,” Kirkland said. “And, with these drive-thru sites, we will see larger increases in the number of vaccines given.  So, by the end of June or July, we should be in good shape as far as the number of vaccines that are new shots in the arm.”