A new call center in Jefferson County has been established to provide information about COVID-19 vaccines.

The Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) and the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency will provide information through the call center and assist with coordinating vaccination efforts throughout the county.

People or organizations that would like information on the COVID-19 vaccination can dial the Jefferson County United Command Call Center at 205-85VACC1 (205-858-2221). Telephone calls are answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Language interpreters are available upon request.

The vaccine will be given in phases, according to the Alabama COVID-19 Vaccination Allocation Plan. This plan was developed by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices.

“Phase One vaccination is for health care workers, medical providers, residents in long-term care facilities and first responders, such as police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) providers,” said Dr. David Hicks, deputy health officer at the Jefferson County Department of Health.

UAB’s Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo (left), Infectious Diseases division director and professor, records herself receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at UAB’s Spain Auditorium — West Pavilion. (UAB)

Those prioritized in Phase Two could include people who are incarcerated, homeless, critical workers, teachers and people who are at high risk of getting COVID-19 due to their medical conditions (such as someone 65 years old who lives in a nursing home), he said.

In December, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

There is limited supply of vaccine given to those in Phase One and JCDH will inform the public when it is time to move to the next phase after evaluating whether enough people have been offered the vaccine in the current phase.

Medical providers said they hope the vaccine means hospitals and clinics will be fully staffed again.

“Vaccines for health care workers would allow us to maintain a healthy workforce to not only treat COVID-related illness but also provide care for non-COVID needs, such as cancer in our communities,” said Dr. Ellen Eaton, assistant professor of medicine at UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

Eaton said it won’t be enough to just vaccinate people who are the most at risk. “More recently, most community spread has been associated with entertainment, travel and gatherings. … Bottom line is that the general public will need to maintain vigilance with current measures.”

Eaton hopes the increasing cases will encourage the community to be more proactive about prevention. “COVID-19 is overwhelming to think about. I’m hoping with new angles and perspectives on encouraging the public, we can get those numbers down. A clear, consistent message will help,” she said.

The growing numbers of cases is a clear reason why residents shouldn’t be afraid of the vaccines, Hicks said.

“We think if 70% of people get vaccinated, then 70% of people will get antibody protection, and that leads to herd immunity, which means the virus can’t pass easily to the next person. For example, if I had COVID-19 and you got the vaccine and had developed antibody protection, then I can’t give it to you. The virus wants to get into you but it can’t, so it tries to go to the next person and the next and if there’s not enough people for it to pass to, coronavirus goes away from a pandemic outbreak level.”

For general information about COVID-19 vaccination in Alabama, visit www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19.

This story originally appeared on the Birmingham Times’ website.