The Houston Department of Health prioritizes COVID-19 vaccinations for the city’s most vulnerable residents

Next week, the Houston Department of Health will focus its COVID-19 vaccine allocation efforts on people most at risk for serious illness and those in vulnerable communities, the department said in a statement.

“We know it is important to vaccinate the most vulnerable people and they should be among the first to receive shots, especially when supply is scarce,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said in the statement. “The Houston Department of Health’s distribution plan for next week focuses on those most at risk for disease and death and people living in vulnerable communities.”

The department’s emphasis on vaccinating vulnerable populations means it will not open first-dose appointments for the qualified general public next week.

Announcements

The department received an additional 9,000 doses on Thursday and will prioritize approximately 5,300 for its Aging Zone Agency, 2,400 for providers in vulnerable communities and 1,300 for pre-scheduled appointments.

The department will also schedule an appointment with 11,971 seconds for doses the week of Feb. 1.

Those who have received the first dose from the health department will be contacted to make a second appointment. The department said people do not need to call for a second dose unless they have been contacted 48 hours before the expiration date recommended by Moderna within 28 days. The department only provides second doses to those to whom it provided a first dose.

Houston Health Department appointments are currently complete according to the supply. The department urges residents not to contact the city’s COVID-19 call center about first-dose appointments because no spaces are currently available.

Announcements

People can sign up for the HoustonRecovers subscribe to AlertHouston for information on new Houston Health Department new appointment opportunities via email, text messaging, voice calls or automatic notifications from mobile apps, depending on the department.

When first-dose vaccination appointments are available, the Houston Department of Health vaccine clinic appointment portal will open at HoustonEmergency.org/covid19.

People can also visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for a list of local COVID-19 vaccine providers.