Coronavirus Texas: Pharmacies in Houston Launch COVID-19 Vaccine Slots

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Houstoniers actively seeking COVID-19 vaccine appointments were surprised that availability was available at local pharmacies.

This good news even comes because COVID-19 variants found in South Africa and the UK are now being confirmed in the Greater Houston region.

The Houston Department of Health said the two cases of the British variant were both men in their 50s. One of them traveled overseas at the end of December and in January, while travel information of the other case was not immediately disclosed. One of the men is in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Houstoniers who searched the internet for vaccine appointments got good news on Monday.

Buzz Bellmont, 65, was able to report himself and his husband on the Sam’s Club pharmacy website after trying.

“I looked online like every day,” Bellmont said. “(Monday) was the first day I was able to get through and I got my husband and I appointments for Friday.”

The information from Sam’s Club was quickly posted by Laurie DesAutels, who created an open Facebook page Vaccinate Houston as a cleaning site for the various links out there to get appointments.

“A lot of members are just like me, who have a mother, a grandmother, and they want to enroll them,” DesAutels said. She has a background in computer work and focuses on the project as a kind of community. service. “I’ve enjoyed being a nerd on the computer for years. So it’s going back to Texas Strong and Houston Strong for me to help each other.”

In addition to Sam’s Club, a number of other pharmacies are expected to be able to offer appointments from this week. CVS, for example, is expected to begin with open enrollment on Thursday and vaccination begins Friday.

Those currently eligible to receive a vaccine are also encouraged to check availability at Kroger, Walgreens, HEB, Walmart and Randalls.

Applying for vaccines among qualified individuals is important because health officials believe the UK variant is likely to spread in our community.

“We have to assume that the British variant is spreading in our city,” the health department tweeted, adding a reminder that the variant does not necessarily make people sicker. “The vaccines appear to be effective against the British variant, but it will take months before enough people are vaccinated to make a difference.”

Last month, Harris County, of which Houston is a part, identified its first case of the British variant.

As for the South African variant, the city of Houston hosted a regular coronavirus briefing by Fort Bend County Director of Health, Dr. Jacqueline Minter, who confirmed that a resident from her country has been confirmed for the tension. The male who is ill with the variant has recovered.

And in a bit of an accident in the city’s effort to vaccinate as many people as possible now, officials do not expect to offer additional appointments for the vaccines.

Turner originally planned to use his coronavirus briefing Monday to ask local hospitals to share their stock of vaccines from the state with local health departments and Harris Health System so more minorities get the chance.

LOOK: Houston identifies the first COVID-19 cases with the British variant

He said African Americans, Hispanics and Asians are not vaccinated with nearly the same vaccination as white residents, and he wants that to change, especially after noticing the death toll of minorities.

The City of Houston’s Department of Health said Hispanics make up 55% of COVID 19 deaths, compared with 21% of Blacks, 18% of whites and 5.5% of Asians.

Across the country, CDC data show that, compared to whites, Hispanics are 1.7 times more likely to get COVID-19, four times more likely to end up in hospital and nearly three times more likely to die. .

A University of Houston study found that a third of Texans are likely to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, and that reluctance is especially true among color communities.

SEE RELATED STORY: New numbers show that black, Spanish communities have been vaccinated

Turner said more than 88% of the vaccines received by Harris Health currently go to people of color, so he goes to private hospitals to share their doses.

SEE RELATED: How Mistrust Access Affects Spanish Communities to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

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