HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Huntsville Hospital's COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinic is no longer holding COVID vaccine doses for second booster shots.
Hospital officials say this decision was made with guidance from the federal government.
Right now, only first responders and those 75 years or older can make an appointment to be vaccinated.
When making an appointment, people will be scheduled for both the first and second dose three weeks apart.
Officials believe they will continue getting shipments of the COVID vaccine that will keep up with demand, but there is a chance that some second dose appointments will be rescheduled.
If you make an appointment, hospital officials say it is very important to show up.
Huntsville Hospital Senior Vice President of Operations, Tracy Doughty, said, "We know that the vaccines are in a super cold freezer. We have to unthaw them, so we're only unthawing the amount that we need, so we don't want to waste anything."
To prevent wasting any doses, pharmacists are waiting to draw up vaccines until the people with appointments toward the end of the day arrive.
Huntsville Hospital launched their Community Vaccination Clinic in John Hunt Park on Monday to begin vaccinating people 75 and older. Before the clinic even opened, they already had over 18,000 requests.
To get on the vaccine waiting list, visit huntsvillehospital.org, click “COVID-19 vaccination for people 75 and older” and complete the online form or click here for that form.
People on the waiting list will be contacted by hospital staff to schedule a date and time to be vaccinated. To keep up with the amount of calls, hospital officials say they are adding more staff to call and schedule appointments.
They say they will soon be open seven days a week and will be able to vaccinate over 3,000 people each week.
WATCH: Hundreds vaccinated at Huntsville Hospital's first COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinic