Large-scale distribution of Austin Pilots vaccines to phase 1B individuals
Published on January 19, 2021
Operational Updates
- The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines received an Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration.
- As part of a statewide program to pilot regional COVID-19 vaccine centers, Austin Public Health (APH) received 12,000 doses in last week’s allocation from the Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS).
- The 12,000 vaccines, which represent less than 1% of the area’s population, were administered to those who met the State’s criteria for Phases 1A and 1B vaccination.
- APH worked with partner organizations to assist individuals with and without insufficient insurance in Phases 1A and 1B from January 11 to 13.
- On January 13, APH launched a COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration system for area residents to apply for future doses of the APH vaccine.
- From January 14 to 16, APH vaccinated individuals 1A and 1B who pre-registered using the system at various locations in the city. All 12,000 vaccines were distributed between Monday and Saturday.
- APH received a second shipment of 12,000 Texas DSHS vaccines as part of the DSHS Week 6 allocation. APH plans to use the registration system to distribute them all during the week.
- Currently, there are more than 350 pharmacies, doctors’ offices, hospital groups and other providers registered to provide COVID-19 vaccines in Austin-Travis County.
- At this point, it is important to remember that not everyone who meets the DSHS and APH criteria will be able to obtain the vaccine through these first large DSHS allocations. If you can get a vaccine through your health care provider, pharmacy or other provider, help us save this limited allocation for our most vulnerable populations.
- APH does not supervise other suppliers and their individual distribution plans. However, APH is working across the health system and in the vaccine coalition to define guidelines that support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the structure of the DSHS for distribution.
- Last week was the last week that DSHS is required to reserve doses for the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care program. This released more vaccines for use in other environments in the future.
- Some providers have started vaccinating individuals in Phase 1B, which includes those over 65 and people with medical conditions that put them at increased risk for serious COVID-19 disease. However, APH understands, from conversations with other suppliers, that the demand for vaccine in Phase 1B is exceeding the supply of many suppliers throughout the Austin area, which are still focused on Phase 1A.
- As a reminder, the ability to respond to the current increase in COVID-19 will determine our ability to distribute the vaccine. The same resources that plan the distribution of vaccines are also managing test sites and caring for patients during this record increase. We need to help our public health and health workers by flattening the curve.
Safety precautions
- Even with limited vaccines available in our community, people need to continue taking additional COVID-19 preventive measures, including: wearing a mask, social detachment, washing their hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezing, cleaning frequently touched surfaces and staying at home if you are sick.
- The CDC recommends that the vaccine be offered to people, regardless of whether they have a history of COVID-19 infection.
- It is not yet clear from vaccine trials whether individuals who receive the vaccine can still transmit COVID-19 to others. Therefore, it is very important that even vaccinees take the same precautions as before to ensure that they do not inadvertently spread the virus as a carrier.
- The FDA has released information leaflets about the Pfizer vaccine and the Modern vaccine for recipients and caregivers that include information about the ingredients of the vaccine and side effects. The COVID-19 vaccine is given as an injection into the muscle in a series of two doses given three (Pfizer) or four (Modern) weeks apart. Vaccine recipients will receive a vaccination card with the vaccine and the batch number they received and when they should return for a second dose.
- Although the COVID-19 vaccine can cause side effects such as fatigue, headache, fever, chills, nausea, muscle and joint pain, these side effects show that the vaccine is working.
- Vaccine recipients should be monitored for at least 15 minutes for a more serious allergic reaction. People with a history of allergic reactions should be monitored for 30 minutes.
- COVID-19 vaccines do not use the live virus and cannot supply COVID-19. The vaccine does not alter your DNA. The vaccination COVID-19 will help protect you, creating an immune response without having to get sick.
- The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that even very rare side effects are identified. V-SAFE is a new smartphone-based post-vaccination health checker for people receiving COVID-19 vaccines.
For additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19-Vaccines.