DCH Health System Reverses Plans to Close Remote COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

A rapid rise in confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus has caused West Alabama's largest healthcare provider to reverse its plans to close a remote vaccination site.

DCH Health System had previously announced plans to close its remote COVID-19 vaccination site due to dwindling community interest in receiving the vaccine; however, recent patient admissions have revealed the unvaccinated are indeed the most vulnerable against the virus.

Get our free mobile app

"[W]e are seeing an increase in COVID-19 inpatient cases and have consistently found that the majority (90 percent or more) of those patients have not been vaccinated. Vaccination for COVID-19 continues to be the most effective defense against the virus," DCH said in a Tuesday update.

The remote vaccination site, located at the west laundry lot of DCH Regional Medical Center is Tuscaloosa, will remain open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Fridays.

"It is critically important that community members get vaccinated," DCH said.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, DCH was treating 58 inpatients for COVID-19, 13 of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit.

The recent spike in cases from the highly contagious Delta variant also caused the healthcare provider to once again revise its visitation policy.