HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala. — The Houston County commission approved a grant to finance a mobile unit in order for the Houston County Health Department to take vaccines and tests to the outer towns of the county.
“We’re thinking maybe set up a day clinic at the senior centers possibly out in the community,” Commission Chairman Mark Culver said. “Go to the Columbia senior center on a Wednesday, and people can show up and get a vaccine.”
While the county commission is looking forward to getting this plan kicked off the ground, the Houston County Health Department is already underway with ideas for the vehicle and the vaccines.
“So we’re going to add portable ultra cold coolers and freezers into that grant,” ADPH Southeast Administrator Corey Kirkland said. “We have one that was bought with a grant earlier here so that the equipment on that trailer should be able to support it. It actually can use your 12-volt or a regular wall outlet so that generator on that van should handle that fine.”
“Course it’s not going to be able to do four or five thousand doses but certainly can do several hundred in a short time,” Kirkland said.
Although the van is not yet operational, the health department is grateful to have a way not only to get the vaccine to more of the community but also other health resources.
“But there might be a handful of people there that need testing from time to time,” Kirkland said. “It might be a way for us to target vaccines or both in some cases at the same event. Also, as we can move along, we were also thinking about flu shots and other things that we can do it with.”
