Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Charles Henderson Child Health Center has been authorized by the Alabama Department of Public Health to be a coronavirus vaccination site.

The facility began vaccinations on Wednesday afternoon to qualifying groups including healthcare providers, first responders and persons ages 75 and up.

Vaccinations will be given by appointment only today (Thursday) from 2 until 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, call CHCHC at 566-7600 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. An appointment is necessary to receive the vaccination.

Dr. Elizabeth Dawson CHCHC medical director, said the center has received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine and expects to receive 300 additional doses.

Dawson said 20 million doses of the vaccine have been given with few problems.

“The science behind the vaccine has taken 30 years to develop so it’s not an entirely new process,” Dawson said. “At the Charles Henderson Child Health Center, we have a doctor on site and medications to treat any emergence that might arise.”

To those who are hesitating to get the Moderna vaccine in anticipation of the roll out of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine, Dawson said, “Don’t wait if you are in the age 75 and up group or in a high-risk group.”

“The one-shot vaccine has not been approved and no one knows how long the time lag could be,” she said. “So, it’s best to get the vaccine when it’s available. This is a deadly illness.”

Dawson encourages the wearing of masks and keeping social distance.

“The masks do help,” she said. “The air is the problem. You don’t want to be in a small, closed-in area or in a place that is not well ventilated. Outside is the best place to be.”

The Charles Henderson Child Center is proud to be able to offer the Moderna vaccine to the public, said Ben Busbee, CHCHC executive director.

“After the Child Health Center was notified it was a potential site, the word came quickly that the vaccine would be available on Wednesday so the length of time to get the word out was limited,” Busbee said.

“Twenty vaccinations were give Wednesday and we are expecting more to be given on Thursday and Saturday,” he said.

To schedule an appointment for the vaccine or for information about vaccination dates and times, call 566-7600. 

The Charles Henderson Child Health Center is located at 1300 U.S. Highway.