All adults in Texas are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of health status or occupation. State officials are recommending that providers prioritize residents 80 and older.
Children 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine with parent or guardian consent.
Health experts estimate between 75-90% of Texans need to achieve immunity to reach full herd immunity.
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Vaccines For Children Between Ages 12-15
The FDA has authorized the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15, and there are appointments available for that age group in San Antonio.
San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District has begun vaccinating a younger age group at the drive-thru clinic at the Alamodome.
On Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., no appointment is necessary for anyone, including adolescents, to receive the Pfizer vaccine at that location.
Appointments for adolescents are also available through UT Health.
New Walk-in Vaccines Clinics
Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said in an effort to get shots to people, four University Health clinics around the city have been pressed into the battle. Walk-in vaccinations will be available at all four sites from 8 am. to 5 p.m. weekdays. They include The Texas Diabetes Institute, the 36th Street Clinic, University Health Ada Street clinic the Robert B. Greene Clinic.
Walk-ins are also welcome on Saturdays at the Brady Green Clinic. The walk-in location at St. Philip's College on the East Side will remain open until May 19.
Mobile Clinics
Groups of at least 5 people can now schedule a mobile clinic to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine by calling the state’s vaccine hotline (844-90-TEXAS; option 3).
The state has about 1,500 Texas National Guard personnel dedicated solely to this effort, according to The Texas Tribune.
Where To Find Appointments
The state has several tools for finding available vaccine appointments, including this map, a statewide vaccine scheduler and this national vaccine finder.
The City of San Antonio updates this page with available slots at the Alamodome location, or you can call 311 to schedule an appointment.
There are a few ways Bexar County residents can sign up to be notified about available appointments. For appointments scheduled by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, text VACCINE or VACUNA to 55000. For appointments with University Health System, download the app and turn on push notifications.
The DSHS has launched a new website that will allow people to register for vaccinations through some public health care providers. Call 833-832-7067 for further help. Call center support is available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day, and translators are available to help callers.
Bexar County Vaccine Waiting List For Those 65 And Older
San Antonio City Council approved the creation of a countywide vaccine waiting list system on Wednesday.
The pilot program will only allow people age 65 and over to register. Vaccine providers will then contact those on the list when they have a vaccine available. District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval says its not a silver bullet, but would help alleviate the load when appointments are opened in mass
“Every resident who comes through this portal is one less person that is crashing a website somewhere else,” she said.
The system would use vaccine availability for appointments at the Alamodome, UT Health, University Health, and Wellmed. A vaccine recipient will need a Texas address to register for this database. The waiting list system still needs a formal agreement with the vendor who will create it and then 2-4 weeks of creation time.
The Different Vaccines
There are currently three vaccines available for emergency use in the U.S. Moderna and Pfizer both require two doses. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose. On Tuesday, April 13, the CDC and FDA recommended states "pause" their allocation of the J&J vaccine.
The request to “pause” this particular vaccine comes after six women between the ages of 18 and 48 experienced dangerous blood clots after getting the J&J shot. Experts don’t know yet if the vaccine caused the blot clots.
The City of San Antonio and Bexar County are following the guidance and have paused allocation of J&J doses. Appointments at local mass vaccinations sites are unaffected by the pause and will continue as scheduled with Pfizer or Moderna doses.
COVID-19 vaccines cannot give you COVID-19.
Once You’re Fully Vaccinated
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider people to be fully vaccinated two weeks after their final dose (two weeks after the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer and two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson).
| Related: How Is The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Different From Pfizer's And Moderna's? |
Once you’re fully vaccinated, the CDC recommends people continue to take precautions such as mask-wearing, social distancing and avoiding medium- or large-sized crowds and poorly ventilated spaces while in public places. They should also delay domestic and international travel and follow guidance at their workplaces.
Fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without a mask. They can also gather indoors with unvaccinated people — who aren’t at a high-risk of illness — from one other household without a mask. Fully vaccinated people do not need to isolate or get tested if exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
More information about coronavirus vaccine distribution in Texas can be found here.
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