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Tuscaloosa physician Dr. Ramesh Peramsetty says Alabama could see shipments of monoclonal antibodies reduced, as federal officials have taken over. This is to ensure monoclonal treatments are dispensed equally. This change was made because seven southern states, including Alabama, accounted for 70% of monoclonal antibody orders in the country.

Providers like Dr. Peramsetty will no longer be able to order the drugs directly but would have to place those orders through state health departments.

Federal officials will use a formula to decide how many doses each state will get as they ration the treatments in response to a national shortage.

Dr. Peramsetty said “we're seeing 25 to 30%, reductions of antibody doses in my clinics from last week.  To meet the current demands we are tightening up the eligibility criteria. It is important now more than ever to get vaccinated and monoclonal antibodies are a secondary treatment. The way to prevent severe COVID-19 is to get vaccinated”.

Dr. Peramsetty said Tuscaloosa has had a total number of 33,308 Covid cases, with an increase of 121 and a total of 517 confirmed deaths. An average of 142 cases per day was reported in Tuscaloosa County, about the same as the average two weeks ago. DCH has 129 Covid inpatients with 28 patients in the ICU, among them 19 are on ventilators.

First Kids Urgent Care is open at 1251 McFarland Blvd NE in Tuscaloosa. Open 7 days a week with in-house labs, pharmacy, after-hours treatment, and x-ray.

www.firstkidsmd.com

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