5.6 million calls clog telephone lines to register the WellMed COVID vaccine in San Antonio

SANTO ANTÓNIO – If you were having trouble accessing WellMed locations on the south and west sides of San Antonio this week, you were not alone.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the impressive 5.6 million calls have been received since registration opened at the weekend, Councilwoman Adriana Rocha-Garcia told KSAT.

WellMed previously told KSAT that the toll-free number (833-968-1745) was quickly congested while community members were trying to secure places for vaccinations.

Rocha-Garcia said 4,775 vaccines were administered in three days at the Senior Community Center Elvira Cisneros, operated by the WellMed Charitable Foundation on Southwest Military Drive and the One-Stop Senior One-Stop Center in the city of Alicia Trevino Lopez on Culebra Road.

A total of 9,000 doses were available at the two facilities, but all openings were filled, according to WellMed officials.

When more vacancies are opened, city officials ask residents to call the same toll-free number between 8 am and 8 pm to make an appointment. Telephones will be answered seven days a week for a period of 12 hours. If you can’t get through, city officials say to keep trying, as the lines receive hundreds of calls every minute.

The Alamodome vaccine clinic is also full. San Antonio city officials said in a press release last week that registration for the free COVID-19 vaccine was completed in just six minutes and that more than 11,000 people were on the registration site when it opened.

The Alamodome unit has the capacity to deliver up to 1,500 vaccines per day. When more vaccines become available, the city will make the announcement on its social networks.

San Antonio now has four mass vaccination sites that can administer around 30,000 vaccines a week, including Alamodome, two WellMed Clinics and the University Health mass vaccination clinic at Wonderland Mall. None of them have vaccines available at the moment.

“There are more than a million people in Bexar County who are eligible for the vaccine now,” said Dr. Colleen Bridger. “With two doses per person, it will take months to administer the vaccines to all residents of Bexar County. The good news is that we are more than equipped to deliver every dose we receive, so the message is being sent to state and federal leaders that we need more – much more. “

In Texas, people who fall into the state’s Phase 1A and Phase 1B categories are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including healthcare professionals, residents of long-term care institutions, anyone over the age of 65 and anyone 18 years or older with a chronic medical condition. Chronic medical conditions include cancer, kidney disease, COPD, heart disease, solid organ transplant recipients, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and type two diabetes.