Mayor Sylvester Turner said the clinic will expand vaccine access to the general public at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.
HOUSTON — The Houston Health Department is opening the city’s first COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said the clinic will expand vaccine access to the general public at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.
“We are anticipating a rush on the phone lines,” Mayor Turner said. “The reality is we simply don’t have sufficient quantity to meet the demand.”
He said there will only be 750 spots available Saturday.
“Anyone that’s 65 and older, teacher, police officer, you name it,” Mayor Turner said.
It is open to the public, but you must fall within Phase 1A or 1B to be eligible, meaning you must be 65 years or older. Because the city is offering the Moderna vaccine, it’s also for those 16 and older with certain medical conditions.
The Houston Health Department said you also must be a resident of the City of Houston.
“It’s a lot more involved than just the testing sites,” Mayor Turner said.
Unlike the drive-thru testing sites, at the vaccine site, you will have to get out of your car. One reason is after getting the shot, health officials must monitor you depending on your medical background for 15 to 30 minutes.
“That requires additional spacing and additional staffing and that also explains one of the reasons why you can’t do as much as you would like to do,” he said.
Houston’s Health Department received an initial shipment of 3,000 doses. The Houston Fire Department got another 3,000. However, the mayor has been critical of the rollout, saying it needs to move faster to meet the demand in a big city like ours where the virus is still spreading.
“I know it can be frustrating, but we are operating with what we have and hopefully we will get a lot, lot more,” he said.
The city says it’s quite possible it will run out of doses Saturday. You can use the state’s online map to find other vaccine providers in your area, like doctors, pharmacies and hospitals.
To make an appointment for the clinic, call the health department’s COVID-19 call center at (832) 393-4220 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Saturday. For more information, visit the Houston Health Department’s website.
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