Houston Health Department opens first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Monday that the Houston Health Department has opened its first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site.

The permanent clinic, located in Delmar Stadium, is expected to provide 1,000 vaccinations of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine per day by appointment only.

Turner said the drive-thru clinic will operate Monday through Saturday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, thanks to the city’s partnership with the Houston United Memorial Medical Center.

“Our job is to vaccinate as many people as possible based on supply. I know there is a lot of fear in the community because people are worried, they can’t get an appointment. We know that the demand is greater than the supply of vaccines, ”said Turner.

People with disabilities and seniors can make an appointment by phone. Turner said to call 832-393-4301 to be placed on the waiting list for COVID-19 vaccines. The department does not currently take any additional appointments, but when the supply increases, the appointment portal is opened. Click here to follow updates on when the portal opens.

“It is very important that you share the number with people in your network because we know that elderly and people with disabilities have a harder time accessing the appointment portal,” said Turner.

The mayor said the clinic is limited by the availability of vaccines, but plans to meet the daily vaccination target of 1,000. As of Monday, the Houston Health Department says it administered a total of 31,159 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I will work to vaccinate as many people as possible,” said Turner. “We are limited by the availability of vaccines, but we are committed to using the resources we have in an accessible and equitable way.

The Houston Health Department reports the highest number of cases on Monday. HHD reports 3,039 positive COVID-10 cases, bringing the city’s total to 149,515 and 11 new COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the total to 1,719. Turner said the high number of cases is due to some of the fixes made by the system in the last three days, which is why the number is so high. The city’s positivity rate is 17%.

While Monday’s cases are high, Turner said the rate of reproduction is slow, which means the virus isn’t spreading as much. He also noted that hospital admissions and ICU numbers are going down.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse said the data shows some improvements, which is “very good and welcome.” Persse said the improvements are not a result of the vaccine, but people are becoming more diligent by wearing a mask after the holidays. He also spoke about the confusion in getting the second dose of vaccine, saying that it is still important to get the second dose and, depending on the vaccine you received, the second dose a few days before or after get the recommended time of 21 or 28 days. span will still be effective.

“We understand the concern, but we will reach everyone we vaccinate for a second dose. Only call if you haven’t heard from us 48 hours after your due date. The number of calls about second doses in advance is causing long waiting times in our call center, ”the Houston Health Department tweeted Monday.