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Videography: Carson Young and Andrea Reiber
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will offer free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations for new and returning students, with no appointment necessary, from 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 8.
The vaccinations will be administered inside Bartow Arena, 617 13th St. South. No one will be turned away as long as they meet the vaccine age eligibility requirement.
The Moderna vaccine is also available in Student Health Services to students by appointment anytime during clinic hours; book an appointment online.
Parking with no ticketing will be available in zones B, D and E around Bartow Arena. Enter Bartow Arena through the main doors near the Ticket Office and Campbell Hall. Goody bags with snacks and UAB swag will be offered, and students who get vaccinated will have a chance to win one of five $250 Amazon gift cards.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine requires two separate shots separated by 21 days. Participants will be able to receive their first or second Pfizer vaccine. Those receiving their first dose June 8 can visit the UAB Injection Clinic, located at 539 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., for their second dose or use vaccines.gov to find a clinic administering Pfizer vaccines convenient to them.
Students who receive the COVID-19 vaccination off-campus are asked to add their immunization information in the UAB Student Health and Wellness patient portal. More information on that process is available online, or email studenthealth@uab.edu.
Photography: Andrea Mabry
Being fully vaccinated means a return to a more normal college life and activities. UAB experts say fully vaccinated people can:
- Reconnect with loved ones, friends and co-workers
- Attend small events in person
- Travel without quarantining, both domestically and internationally
- Gather and share meals with family again
- Access full CDC recommendations for “When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated” at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html#vaccinated
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they received their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a fully vaccinated person is 94 percent less likely to be hospitalized compared to an unvaccinated individual, if exposed to the coronavirus or a mutation of it. In addition to having a significantly lower risk of catching COVID, a vaccine could help reduce long-term symptoms for those who have already had COVID-19.
People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have received clearance to discontinue isolation, and those with positive COVID-19 testing but without symptoms should also wait to be vaccinated until they have received clearance to discontinue isolation. More information about CDC criteria for discontinuing isolation can be found on the CDC site.
If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
To learn more about COVID-19 on UAB’s campus, visit UAB United.