City front-line workers receive coronavirus vaccine as 6,000 doses arrive at Houston Health Fire Department

HOUSTON – Some of Houston City’s top frontline workers receive their coronavirus vaccines Monday after 6,000 doses arrive at the Houston Department of Health and Houston Fire Department.

Dr. Stephen Williams, director of HHD, said the first shots will go to the 260 workers who qualify for Phase 1A. He said the Department of Health is also preparing to administer the vaccine to 365 school nurses in the Houston and Pearland school districts.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said paramedic teams will be the first people in his department to receive the vaccine. Peña said more than 50% of firefighters said they are interested in receiving the vaccine. He said support staff will be part of Phase 1B.

More than 400 firefighters have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. Three firefighters have died. Peña said a firefighter went to the emergency room on Monday with respiratory problems and tested positive for COVID-19.

Dr. David Persse, chief physician in Houston, said that while the vaccine is still limited to people in phases 1A and 1B, it will eventually be deployed in larger areas of the public.

“When your opportunity comes, please feel comfortable,” Persse said. “Get vaccinated.”

On Monday, Harris County Public Health is administering doses of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine to those eligible for Phase 1A. HCPH has been notifying local partners that they support Phase 1A eligible people and is already offering vaccinations to healthcare staff.

Additional doses were reported in Houston when new cases of the virus were reported in Houston.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said an additional 765 cases were reported Monday, bringing the city’s total to 116,043. An additional death was reported, bringing the total number of deaths in the city to 1,544.

Turner said the positivity rate rose to 11.6% on Monday, almost half a point from last week.

With only three days left until 2020, Houston officials urged people to keep their meetings small.

Turner said people should cancel any New Year’s Eve meeting that requires people to gather in large numbers.

The mayor said he does not have the resources available for bars and police parties, but urges people to exercise their personal responsibility in an effort to control the spread of the virus.

“We keep asking people to recognize that when you gather in large numbers without the mask put on, a very bad environment is created,” Turner said.

Officials also reminded people not to drink or drive and that fireworks and celebratory shooting are banned in Houston.