All 1,000 new appointments at Minute Maid Park were filled shortly after they were added by the Houston Department of Health for people who meet Phase 1A or Phase 1B criteria.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said a new consignment of the Moderna vaccine arrived at the Houston Department of Health this week. Due to the delivery, 3,600 vaccinations were given on Saturday, which is three times the number administered at the Bayou City Event Center Clinic last Saturday.
“There’s still a huge amount of hesitation in vaccines in our city,” Turner said. “I want to let people know that it’s important for them to benefit from the vaccine. We’ve had a lot of conversations about this new variant that’s here, or variants, there can be more than one, and that’s really it’s now important for people to get this vaccine, and then for us to get it out as quickly as possible. ‘
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The department has partnered with the Astros Foundation to operate the landmark as a COVID-19 vaccination site, but it is only open to people who are already planning their appointments.
“It can not happen without the volunteers,” said Twila Carter of the Astros Foundation. ‘It’s great to be here at Minute Maid Park today to hear the noise of people. We are ready to get baseball in action here again, and the only way we can do that is to get everyone the vaccines. ‘
The health department’s Bayou City Event Center Clinic has been closed for an unrelated weekend event. Appointments originally planned for that facility are honored in Minute Maid Park.
READ MORE: Track the availability and progress of the COVID-19 vaccine in Houston
“The City of Houston is working 24 hours a day to get the COVID-19 vaccine to the public based on the availability of stock. “said Turner.
He took to Twitter on Friday to explain that the clinic at Minute Maid Park is not a “mega-vaccination site”.
This weekend we are working with the @Astros Foundation to establish Minute Maid Park as a # COVID-19 vaccination on Saturday.
This will NOT be a mega-website.
– Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) 7 January 2021
The health department will contact people in their appointment queue to inform them of the new location and will give instructions on what to do when you arrive. Appointments are being filled until the end of January based on the department’s current vaccination grant, and according to the city, no additional appointments are being made.
Appointments are based on the availability of vaccines, and current appointments can be adjusted based on the department’s allocation.
As of Thursday, January 7, the health department has received a total of 13,800 doses of vaccines and administered 8,169 doses at locations including the Bayou City Event Center, as well as the Northside, La Nueva Casa de Amigos, Sharpstown and Sunnyside health centers.
The department also transferred 1,900 doses to other providers. The Department of Health will announce additional vaccination opportunities at its health centers, multi-service centers, community establishments and via mobile units as supply increases.
You can also contact your primary care provider and local pharmacy or the Texas Department of State Health Services’ COVID-19 vaccine availability card.
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