MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the 42nd Medical Group Jan. 15, 2020, on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Vaccinations will begin Jan. 16, at the honor guard hangar on Maxwell, which will serve as an off-site clinic. The available doses are to be distributed in a five-day timeframe.
The administration of the Pfizer vaccine is part of “Operation Warp Speed” a U.S. government initiative to accelerate the testing, supply, development and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to counter COVID-19 by January 2021.
“Our team is more than 100 percent ready to receive the vaccine and administer it as quickly and safely to our population here as possible.” said Captain Aphton Lane, 42nd Medical Group Operation Warp Speed team lead.
Vaccines are currently voluntary and will be administered via appointment only, adhering to the prioritization schema developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense. The schema is broken down into tiers and phases, starting with all healthcare providers, healthcare support personnel, emergency services and public safety personnel.
Next to receive the vaccine will be personnel supporting critical national capabilities, those preparing to deploy to locations outside the continental U.S., DoD beneficiaries age 75 and older and frontline essential workers. The following phase includes all other essential workers, DoD beneficiaries between the ages of 65 and 74 as well as beneficiaries between the ages of 16 and 64 with increased risk for severe illness as defined by the CDC. After all of the previously mentioned groups have been offered the vaccines, the vaccine will be distributed to all people aged 16 and older.
Individuals working on base will be notified by their commander as the 42nd MDG progresses through each phase of the prioritization schema and they will be provided with instructions on how to schedule a vaccination appointment. Additionally, instructions can be found on Maxwell’s COVID-19 vaccine page for beneficiaries who are not working on base.