Alabama will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include people age 55 and older, people with disabilities and people ages 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions starting March 22.
State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the expansion may more than double the number of people eligible for vaccination. An estimated 1.5 million people were eligible in Phase 1a and 1b, he said.
The expansion will come as the Alabama National Guard will begin rotating vaccinations effort in counties, mostly in the Black Belt and Wiregrass regions of the state.
Harris said the Guard will offer 1,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine daily, four days a week, in rotation for three weeks, then circle back to provide the second dose.