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

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

The permanent clinic, located at the Delmar Stadium, must supply 1,000 vaccines of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine per day, by appointment only.

Turner said the drive-thru clinic will be open Monday through Saturday, 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 the offer. I know that there is a lot of anxiety in the community because people are concerned, they are unable to make an appointment. We know that the demand is greater than the vaccine supply, ”said Turner.

People with disabilities and the elderly can make an appointment over the phone. Turner said to call 832-393-4301 to be put on the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list. The department is not accepting additional commitments at this time, but when the offer increases, it will open the appointment portal. To follow updates on when the portal will open, click here.

“It is very important that you share the number with people in your network, because we know that the elderly and those with disabilities have more difficulty accessing the scheduling portal,” said Turner.

The mayor said the clinic is limited by the availability of the vaccine, but plans to meet its daily goal of 1,000 vaccines. On Monday, the Houston Department of Health reported that 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 the vaccine, but we are doing everything possible to use the resources we have in an accessible and equitable way.

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

Although Monday’s cases are high, Turner said the reproduction rate is low, which means that the virus is not spreading as much. He also noted that the ICU admission rate and numbers are decreasing.

The medical director, Dr. David Persse, said that the data shows some improvements, which is “very good and welcome”. Persse said the improvements are not because of the vaccine, but because people are becoming more diligent wearing masks after the holidays. He also addressed the confusion over obtaining the second dose of the vaccine, saying that it is still important to receive the second dose and depending on the vaccine you received, receiving the second dose a few days before or after the recommended time of 21 or 28 days span it will be effective.

“We understand anxiety, but we will reach everyone who vaccinated on the second doses. Please only call if you have not heard from us 48 hours after the due date. The volume of calls about second doses in advance is creating long waiting times in our call center, ”the Houston Department of Health tweeted on Monday.