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By Zachary Seifter/ Staff Writer

 

Clanton Family Health is providing free Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for anyone in the Chilton County area age 18 or older.

Anyone that wants the vaccine can schedule an appointment at Clanton Family Health to get one. All one has to do is provide a valid U.S. ID when they go to the center for their appointment. One does not have to be an established patient there either.

Clanton Family Health received the vaccines and began distributing them on March 24.

“We’re trying to just help the community where we can,” Erin Davis of Clanton Family Health said. “We haven’t had a large response for people who want the vaccine … there’s a lot of people hesitant, and there’s a lot of people who don’t want the two-dose, so they’re just not getting vaccinated at all. Many people are not aware that we have the one-dose available.”

Health Services in Montgomery has led the charge for vaccinations to be available for free in the state, according to Davis. They have worked closely with the state to allow clinics like Clanton Family Health to help people get vaccinated.

While Clanton Family Health is currently taking appointments for vaccinations, the center can only take so many a week. They are limiting the amount of people that can schedule a vaccination.

“We just do a limited number a week because we are a small clinic,” Davis said. “So, we try to get people scheduled in advance.”

Despite taking only a limited number of patients per week, residents in the area are still encouraged to call Clanton Family Health to schedule an appointment.

To book an appointment for a vaccination, call Clanton Family Health at 205-755-3980.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey expanded the age of eligibility to receive a vaccination to people age 16 or older on April 2. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can only be administered to people age 18 or older, according to a press release from Alabama Department of Public Health.

In Chilton County, 9,748 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 3,873 people having completed the vaccine series.