Harris County is launching a waiting list for the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday

HOUSTON – Harris County is launching a waiting list on Tuesday for people who want to get the coronavirus vaccine.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the list is intended to create a fair way to distribute and administer the vaccine.

“Getting a COVID-19 vaccine shouldn’t be like ‘The Hunger Games,'” Hidalgo said. “It shouldn’t be about who can click Refresh in a browser the fastest.”

Hidalgo said the waiting list will be made available at ReadyHarris.org or by calling 832-927-8787. The telephone line is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

While anyone can sign up for the waiting list, only people who are eligible to receive the vaccine in stages 1A and 1B can currently receive the injection, Hidalgo said. She said the system is not a first come, first served. She said eligible people will be subject to an arbitrary system to ensure the administration process is fair. She said people who are currently not eligible will be contacted once they become eligible.

If you register online, you will receive a confirmation email. Once selected, you will receive another email with an individualized identification code inviting you to schedule a time and date to receive the vaccine within 48 hours. If you register by phone and you have been selected, you will receive a call to make your appointment.

Hidalgo said Harris County Public Health has administered 27,426 vaccines to date and the county receives about 9,000 doses per week. She said that while provincial leaders are calling for more doses to be received, the waiting list does not mean the province has a huge supply of the vaccine.

“The supply is still extremely limited,” said Hidalgo.

She also said the county is building six permanent vaccination sites, targeting those areas with the highest rates of covid and those communities and neighborhoods that are underserved.

You can watch a replay of Hidalgo’s press conference below: