The Houston Department of Health receives an additional 9,000 doses of vaccine; new appointments booked in minutes

HOUSTON – The Houston Department of Health said Friday afternoon 1,600 new appointments were reserved for the COVID-19 vaccine in five minutes. The department said they received an additional 9,000 doses of the vaccine on Friday.

The new appointments were for the department’s new vaccination site at Delmar Stadium, operated by United Memorial Medical Center, which will open Monday.

Officials said people who show up without confirmed appointments will be rejected.

The department also plans to transfer 800 doses to other providers, vaccinate approximately 900 people who withdrew from Minute Maid Park last Saturday and meet existing appointments at the Bayou City Event Center, its health centers and multiple service centers.

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“We are pleased to operate two mass vaccination sites next week, one in the north of the city and another in the south. These two sites make the vaccine more accessible to everyone, and complement the health departments and multidisciplinary services of the health department, ”said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “As we receive more vaccines, we will expand partnerships with federally qualified pharmacies and health centers to ensure the vaccine is available to the most vulnerable communities and deploy mobile strike equipment as needed.”

The department plans to announce new appointment opportunities weekly, depending on the supply.

People can learn about new appointment opportunities via email, text messaging, voice calls or automatic notification from mobile apps by signing up for the HoustonRecovers subscription to AlertHouston at AlertHouston.org.

Appointments are based on vaccine availability and can be adjusted based on the department’s supply.

As of January 21, the department administered a total of 29,751 doses of vaccine.

People who received the first dose of vaccine through the health department will contact them to schedule their second dose before the recommended expiration date. Check your voice messages, text messages, and emails frequently for information.

Currently, the department provides the Modern vaccine. The second dose of Moderna 28 days after the first dose is recommended.

The updated CDC guide states that “the second dose should be administered as close as possible to the recommended range. However, if it is not possible to meet the recommended interval, the second administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines can be scheduled to be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is no need to restart the series.

If contact information has changed since a person received the first dose from the Department of Health, call COVID-19 at 832-393-4220.

“We understand the anxiety of the second dose and thank everyone for their patience as we continue to work together to achieve the largest mass vaccination effort ever,” said Stephen L. Williams, director of the Department of Health. “Rest assured that if the Houston Department of Health vaccinated you, we will contact you within the appropriate timeframe to schedule your second dose.”

Even when vaccinated, everyone still needs to take precautions such as masking, socializing, washing hands, and testing to help stop the spread of COVID-19 as people get vaccinated and we learn more about the immunity produced by vaccines.

“Please encourage your family and community to‘ Take the best shot ’as the vaccine becomes available,” Williams said.

Visit the HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 vaccine page for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines through the Houston Department of Health.