Hospitalizations involving COVID-19 are down and more vaccinations are on the way.

The newest vaccine — the single-dose Johnson & Johnson — will soon be available along with the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer. Physicians offices and pharmacies may soon have shots available as the local supply returns to 5,000 weekly.

But as optimism grows, outgoing Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers has some advice.

“I don’t think it’s wise to wait on a particular vaccine,’’ he said at the weekly COVID-19 press briefing at the Huntsville City Council chambers. “Any vaccine at this point is the right thing to do.’’

Madison County Commissioner Violet Edwards, who represents District 6, echoed that sentiment. She urged the minority community to “trust the data’’ and not deny getting a shot because of historical suspicions.

There’s been debate that the black community, which has received fewer doses than others, have been hesitant to get the shot because of governmental distrust. The most referenced occasion is the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment when more than 600 black men in 1932 were promised free health care related to other possible ailments.

It was, however, a study on the effects of syphilis of infected and non-infected men.

“I believe in data and I believe that data (related to COVID-19 vaccines) is accurate,’’ said Edwards, who is black. “If the hesitancy was there, it was just a trust issue in the science going back years and years. At this point right now, we have to look at the date of the COVID vaccine and know it can be trusted.

“We have to put these fears aside. Don’t forget the past or anything else you’ve heard, but we have to be vigilant and we have to be mindful today in moving forward to protect our family now.’’

Take the vaccine when available, she urged.

“Don’t just brush it aside because of history,’’ she said. “We can change today so let’s do it.’’

Currently, there are 28,577 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 369 deaths in Madison County as of March 10.

At Huntsville Hospital facilities there are 39 in-patients because of the virus — the lowest number since October — with six in ICU and four on ventilators. Crestwood Medical Center has 10 in-patients with two in ICU, both on ventilators.

In other virus news:

Jeff Birdwell, director of the Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency, announced a new United Way program that offers rides to get a vaccine. Anyone interested should call 211.
Spillers said his hospital was pretty much “back to normal’’ and elective surgeries are no longer suspended.
Spillers said to check each hospital for visitation rules, but they are not as strict as previously. However, he added, “We haven’t gone back to the days of 10-15 people visiting a patient. I don’t know that we ever will.”
With the influx of vaccines — the 5,000 had been reduced to 2,500 — the goal now is to get the 32,000 people on the waiting list a shot as soon as possible to clear room for others. So far, 60,000 people in Madison County have been vaccinated.
Huntsville Hospital will still require a mask even if Governor Kay Ivey lifts the state mandate when it expires April 9.

“I haven’t been this optimistic in a long time,’’ Spillers said. “It looks like COVID nationwide is getting to a manageable level.’’

Spillers said states which have not fully opened — like Texas — will be watching those that have.

“It will be interesting to watch that,’’ he said. “It may work, may not.’’