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At least 60 residents of a luxury apartment complex in Houston have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the general manager told the Daily Beast.
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A Houston Department of Health spokesman, however, said the apartment complex is not a registered vaccine provider.
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The map of local Texas State Health Service providers does not include the Montebello complex. It mainly shows the location of hospitals, pharmacies and medical clinics.
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Governor Greg Abbott warned that a “significant portion” of vaccines is not reaching vulnerable Texans.
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On Friday, Texas recorded a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
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Related: What is the COVID-19 vaccine like
At least 60 residents of the sophisticated Montebello complex in Houston have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Daily Beast.
Montebello general manager Daniel Hancock told the publication: “The state of Texas has authorized it. We are working with a distributor … it is a blessing that we can get it.”
Hancock, however, did not specify the name of the distributor.
Local health officials do not believe that the state has approved the distribution effort to residents who live in the luxury housing project.
A Houston Department of Health spokesman told the Daily Beast: “All distributors must register with the state’s health department. The apartment complex is not an approved supplier.”
He continued: “If a site is not approved, is not on the list and is receiving vaccine shipments, then our recommendation is not to go to that site.”
According to the Texas State Department of Health Services, Montebello is not on the registered list of vaccine suppliers COVID-19.
The department’s map, which lists the approved locations, shows that the vaccine supplier closest to the apartment complex is a medical center 0.44 miles away. Most of the listed places are hospitals, medical clinics and pharmacies – not residential buildings.
A 68-year-old resident of the complex, who described himself as “one of Houston’s luxury skyscrapers,” told the Daily Beast that he was vaccinated there.
The complex manager said the building was eligible for vaccines because it was home to many elderly residents.
While this apartment complex – where condominiums sell for more than $ 3.5 million – has gained access to vaccines, other vulnerable Texans have not been vaccinated.
“I couldn’t find anyone who actually got the vaccine,” said a man who meets the criteria for getting vaccinated at CBS DFW. Michael Calder, a Dallas resident, said he called three providers to get an injection and was unsuccessful on all charges.
Pharmacists across the state also reported running out of doses. “I had to refuse health professionals because we were broke,” explained a pharmacist from Wylie to the local broadcaster.
Texas officials warned that vaccines may not be reaching the most vulnerable Texans.
On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that “a significant portion of vaccines across Texas could be on hospital shelves, instead of being given to vulnerable Texas.”
Abbot then asked the providers to “quickly deliver all doses.
Dr. John Hellerstedt, a Texas health commissioner, also asked vaccine providers to act quickly.
In a message to the public, he wrote: “All providers that received the COVID-19 vaccine should immediately vaccinate healthcare professionals, Texans over 65 and people with health problems … no vaccine should be kept in reserve . “
The state’s vaccination campaign comes at a time when Texas has a record number of hospitalizations for the coronavirus, according to the Texas Tribune.
The seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 tests exceeded 20%, doubling the required 10% level to declare a “red flag” situation.
As of Friday, 12,369 new cases were reported in Texas.
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