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COLUMBIANA – County staff members provided an update on Jan. 11 to the Shelby County Commission on COVID-19 vaccines in Shelby County.

County Manager Chad Scroggins said Shelby County is still in Phase 1A of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s vaccination plan, which includes healthcare workers, residents and staff at nursing home and long-term care facilities, and EMS workers who can come in contact with the virus.

“We are getting close to Phase 1B,” Scroggins said of the next phase, which includes those who are 75 years old or older and essential workers. “This is a state-operated situation.”

Currently, ADPH is providing COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals in Shelby County in Phase 1A, along with front-line healthcare workers and first responders, through Jan. 17.

Starting Jan. 18, ADPH will offer free COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 years old and older and first responders, including law enforcement and firefighters, by appointment only at the Shelby County Health Department in Pelham, MainStreet Family Care in Pelham and Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster. Appointments can be made by calling 1-855-566-5333.

Shelby County EMA Supervisor Hub Harvey said the county will receive the Moderna vaccine, which does not have to be kept as cold as the vaccine made by Pfizer.

Harvey said many of the county’s EMS providers, firefighters and paramedics have been vaccinated, but the question remains of how more vaccines can be made available to Shelby County residents.

“We’re all pressing for more vaccines,” Scroggins said, and added any new information on COVID-19 vaccination information will be posted on the county’s website, Shelbyal.com. “It’s a serious virus. Anything we can do to help with this, we’re doing it.”

Commissioner Lindsey Allison thanked county staff members for working alongside the state to ensure COVID-19 vaccinations are being made available to as many county residents as possible in accordance with the ADPH’s phased approach.

“We’re trying to do everything we can to get it to our citizens,” Allison said. “We’re doing all we can to get our shots and get them administered. We’ll put county resources to it if we have to.”

In other business, the Commission:

• Approved Shelby County’s Rebuild Alabama Act annual report for 2019-2020, which is required through the Rebuild Alabama Act and provides detailed expenditures made from County Rebuild Alabama Funds and Federal Aid Exchange Funds as shown in the previous fiscal year’s County Transportation Plan.
• Approved a facility encroachment agreement with CSX concerning a water sub-grade pipeline crossing near Chelsea.
• Approved bid resolutions for janitorial services, cleaning items, gloves, hygiene items and a fingerprint system.
• Approved a resolution for an Office on Violence Against Women Fiscal Year 2021 Justice for Families Program Grant for the continuation of a court-based or court-related programs.
• Approved a resolution to set aside a memorandum agreement the county had with Joseph D. “JD” King and Bobbie King in 2011 for the donation and public display of their fire equipment collection in light of the county not having a method to do so.