HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — UPDATE: January 28, 2021: Huntsville Hospital's COVID vaccine sign-up is still open for its waiting list.
More than 18,000 people ages 75 and older have joined the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list for Huntsville Hospital in Madison County, whose population of those ages 75 and older is approximately 24,000 people.
Click here for the Huntsville Hospital COVID vaccine sign-up.
The hospital said it is adding staff in order to schedule appointments and will not stop until everyone on the list has been contacted.
Additionally, the hospital's new vaccination clinic will soon be open 7-days-a-week. Huntsville Hospital said this new schedule will allow it to vaccinate more than 3,000 people per week.
Huntsville Hospital said it plans to use all of the vaccines at its disposal and is not holding the vaccine for second doses. When a patient is contacted, two appointments are scheduled: The initial appointment followed by a second three weeks after the first.
The hospital said it anticipates it will continue to receive doses of the vaccine that will keep up with the demand, but the possibility exists that some second dose appointments will need to be rescheduled if there is a disruption in shipments.
"We anticipate strong demand for the vaccine as eligibility is expanded and we welcome the other vaccination sites that will come on board in the coming weeks. While we cannot promise you will not have to wait for an appointment, w can promise that we’ll continue vaccinating until the job is done," the hospital said in a statement on Tuesday, January 19.
IN OTHER NEWS: Dean of UAB School of Medicine breaks down vaccine process