View Larger Image Ainsley Albright, 17, gets her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinic on April 10. Starting Thursday, UAMS will offer the vaccine to children ages 12 and up. Image by Karmen Robinson

UAMS, Madison County Library to Bring Mobile Vaccine Clinic to Huntsville

By David Wise

| FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will offer COVID-19 vaccines to the public at no cost at the Madison County Library in Huntsville this summer, as part of a statewide initiative to increase vaccination rates in rural communities in Arkansas.

UAMS will provide vaccines from 1-4 p.m. at the library on June 14 and 28, and July 5 and 19. The vaccines are available at no cost to the public. Patients who receive their COVID-19 vaccine at one of the UAMS events and take a short survey after will receive a $20 Walmart gift card.

According to the Arkansas Department of Health, about 48% of Madison County’s population is fully immunized against COVID-19, and 63 people have died of COVID-19 in Madison County since the pandemic started.

“We hope we’re nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know there’s more to do so we can protect all Arkansans from becoming seriously ill with the coronavirus,” said Stephanie Kruger, associate director of Community Programs in the UAMS Office of Community Health & Research. “If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, need a booster, or just have questions about the vaccine, we encourage you to come out and see us at the Madison County Library in Huntsville. We’re not just here to provide vaccines — we want to reach out to the Madison County community and answer questions so you can make an informed decision about your health care.”

COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to significantly lessen symptoms of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 11,500 people in Arkansas since 2020. While the number of cases in Arkansas continues to decline, protection against the virus is encouraged by medical officials to avoid serious illness or death.

COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone 5 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots are available to anyone 5 years and older, and the Moderna shots are available to anyone 18 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends booster shots for persons five months after their initial series of vaccines.

For more information about COVID-19, including resources, mobile vaccine events and education, visit nwa.uams.edu/covid.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 288 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 64 medical and pharmacy residents, two sports medicine fellows, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.