Tuscaloosa VA to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 12

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — Starting Jan. 12, the Tuscaloosa VA will begin administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to outpatient veterans.

The medical center has set-up a vaccine clinic in the Building 137 Sports Atrium and intends to begin vaccinating outpatient veterans according to the CDC’s risk-stratification guidelines, starting with Veterans aged 75 and older. The vaccine clinic will initially be in operation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each week.

As the vaccine becomes more available, the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center will be begin vaccinating more outpatient veterans following the VA’s goal of vaccinating all veterans who wish to receive the vaccine by the summer.

All outpatient Veterans who wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are asked to do the following:

• Sign up for email updates on vaccine distribution on VA’s COVID Vaccine webpage.
• If you are age 75 and older, please call the Tuscaloosa VA Call Center at 205-554-2010 to schedule your first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
• When you come to receive your COVID-19 vaccine, dress in a short-sleeved shirt or one that can be easily pulled up to get to your shoulder.

To date, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has administered initial COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 14,000 Veterans at high risk of getting COVID-19 infection, and more than 132,000 health care employees as of Jan. 4.

As vaccine supplies increase, VA care teams will reach out to eligible Veterans to schedule vaccinations.

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