Houston’s luxury high-rise is facing questions after some renters gain access to vaccine

HOUSTON – As people wait to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a luxury Houston high-rise is faced with questions about how some of its tenants got access to the recordings.

A website for Montebello calls the condo building at the Galleria “one of Houston’s first-class luxury high-rises,” with units that can be sold for millions of dollars. The questions are not about the lists, but about COVID-19 vaccines.

About 60 residents received the vaccine this week, prompting an article by the Daily Beast to ask, “Why did this fancy Houston high-rise get vaccines for most people?”

The article quoted the CEO, Daniel Hancock, as saying, “We are partnering with a distributor …”

Hancock would not go on camera with KPRC 2, but said off camera that the building did not secure the vaccines, a provider did. He said the provider had previously offered flu shots to residents here and offered the vaccine after receiving doses.

“These shots were given by an authorized provider to people in Group 1B (specifically age 65 and over), as expressly encouraged by the State of Texas. I understand that many other tall buildings with similar populations have also received vaccines designated for Group 1B, ”he said in a written statement.

One resident who got the shot said most of the people living in Montebello are seniors, and given his age, he doesn’t want to get a COVID.

Hancock said the provider has also offered the vaccines to other buildings. The manager said the provider is on the state’s list of vaccine recipients, but he would not name the provider, so KPRC 2 could not verify or contact the provider.