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COVID-19 vaccines still available




Though Uvalde Memorial Hospital and the Uvalde Health Authority announced last week they were shutting down weekly mass COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccines are available in Uvalde at pharmacies and Community Health Development Inc.

Before shutting down the Uvalde vaccine hub, there will be two more mass inoculation clinics – scheduled for April 14 and April 21 – offering the second dose of the coronavirus shot for approximately 2,250 individuals.

According to UHA official Dr. Jared Reading, approximately 43 percent of county residents over the age of 16 have been vaccinated; of that total, about 73.7 percent of county residents over the age of 65 have been innoculated.

In the U.S., where about 3 million inoculations per day are now being delivered, nearly one-third of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of the two-dose vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, or the one-dose inoculation made by Johnson and Johnson.

“The Uvalde vaccination hub has been a model. We were one of the first to start a registration system, first to open, and now one of the first to close as the critical population has been served,” Reading said.

He said reasons for closing the vaccine hub include a lessening of urgency as those more statistically likely to be vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19 were vaccinated, and more people began not showing up for vaccination appointments.

Vaccine registration

In Texas anyone age 16 and up is eligible to be vaccinated, but only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for those ages 16 and 17.

Texas Department of State Health Services has created a Texas public health vaccine scheduler, which will notify those who register via email or text message when and where vaccination appointments are available. Registration on the portal takes about 10 minutes, and asks a series of health-related and demographic questions.

To register visit: getthevaccine.dshs.texas.gov/s/. Those who don’t have internet access may call 833-832-7067 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

CHDI, 200 Evans St., is offering about 176 vaccination appointments from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. As of Tuesday morning, about 160 slots were still available.

Vaccines available include Moderna and some Johnson and Johnson. To sign up, visit: www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a44a9ac2eaafc1-covid3.

“Uvalde Medical and Surgical Associates clinics and Sabinal Health Clinic have both offered vaccinations. Several of the doctor’s offices may eventually offer vaccinations. The hospital is considering offering vaccines as well but at a much lower volume,” Reading said last week.

Radicke said both clinics had offered vaccination to registered patients and at this time, UMH is not offering the shots.

  • Confirmed cases: 3,412
  • Probable cases: 123
  • Deaths: 70
  • New positives last two weeks: 41
  • Last new positive: April 5

Pharmacies

The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccination is a collaboration between government and pharmacies to increase access to COVID-19 vaccination across the U.S., and local participants include Walgreens, H-E-B and Walmart pharmacies.

Through this program, vaccines are distributed locally, though there is no set number of what might be available in any given week.

At Walgreens Uvalde, 250 E. Main St., a Walgreens corporate spokesperson said customers can visit Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, which will prompt users to create or sign in with a store account, or call 1-800-Walgreens, which is available in English and Spanish, to schedule one or both vaccine appointments.

Appointments are available in Uvalde, and after logging in online there is a list to select from to confirm eligibility, including an option for those age 16 or older, followed by a four-question vaccination screening. Those arriving for appointments will need to show identification before being vaccinated. As of Tuesday, Walgreens was offering Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccines, with the number of appointments varying by the day.

H-E-B is offering vaccinations at various area pharmacy locations, with slots open on a rotating basis.

To check for appointments, visit: vaccine.heb.com/scheduler and type in the zip code near the top. On Tuesday, there were no appointments available in Uvalde, Pearsall or Hondo, but once a first appointment has been made, the store will automatically schedule a second dose, if needed.

Walmart is offering coronavirus vaccine in more than 3,800 locations in the U.S. The Uvalde Walmart, 3100 E. Main St., is currently out of vaccine, but will update appointment schedules when available.

Walmart’s website states, “Most commercial health insurance plans and Medicare, and Medicaid must provide coverage of the administration fee for the COVID-19 vaccine. For those without insurance, Walmart will submit for reimbursement for the administration of the vaccine under the Provider Relief Fund. Walmart will not bill you for the vaccine, any portion of the administration fee, or anything else associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Visit tinyurl.com/2y9z29m7 to see available appointments. The zip code of local stores may be adjusted near the top of the page.