ALABAMA (WHNT) – This month marks three years since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the state. Since then, more than 21,000 people across Alabama have died from the virus.

Many things have changed since the pandemic began three years ago, most notably, there is medication to treat it and vaccines to prevent it.

Alabama state director of Doctors for America, Dr. Tom Ellison, says staying up to date on the COVID vaccine remains very important, even though community transmission is low in most counties across the state. 

“We want to make sure that we don’t get any upticks and cases to come back, especially in our young, our elderly and all the vulnerable people,” Dr. Ellison said.