All 1,000 new appointments to Minute Maid Park were made shortly after they were added by the Houston Department of Health for people who meet the criteria for phase 1A or phase 1B.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said a new shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived at the Houston Department of Health earlier than expected this week. Due to the delivery, 3,600 vaccinations were administered on Saturday, which is three times the number administered last Saturday at the Bayou City Event Center clinic.
“There is still a great deal of hesitation about the vaccine that exists in our city,” Turner said. “I want to let people know that it is important for them to take advantage of the vaccine. We had a lot of conversations about this new variant that is here, or variants, there could be more than one and so, it is really important now that people get this vaccine and then get it out as soon as possible. “
SEE: Houston leaders present plan to expand vaccine availability
The department has collaborated with the Astros Foundation to operate the landmark as a COVID-19 vaccination site, but is only open to people who have already scheduled appointments.
“This could not have happened without the efforts of volunteers,” Twila Carter told the Astros Foundation. “It’s great to be here at Minute Maid Park today to hear the humming of the people, you know. We’re ready to get baseball back into action here, and the only way we can do that is to get everyone vaccinated.”
The Bayou City Event Center clinic of the health department is closed for an unrelated weekend event. Schedules originally scheduled for that feature are honored at Minute Maid Park.
READ MORE: Check availability and progress of COVID-19 vaccine in Houston
“The city of Houston is working non-stop to make the COVID-19 vaccine public based on the available supply. Unfortunately, we have no control over the vaccine supply and we need to schedule local vaccines based on vaccine delivery,” Turner said.
He came on Twitter on Friday to clarify that the Minute Maid Park clinic is not a “mega vaccine site.”
This weekend, we are partnering with @Astros The foundation will operate Minute Maid Park as a # COVID-19 vaccination site on Saturday.
It will NOT be a mega-site.
– Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) January 7, 2021
The health department will contact the people in the queue to inform them of the new location and will give you instructions on what to do when you arrive. Appointments are completed by the end of January, depending on the department’s current vaccine allocation, and no other appointments are being made, according to the city.
Appointments are based on vaccine availability, and current appointments can be adjusted according to the department’s allocation.
As of Thursday, January 7, the health department received a total of 13,800 doses of vaccines and administered 8,169 doses at locations, including Bayou City Event Center, along with Northside, La Nueva Casa de Amigos, Sharpstown and Sunnyside health centers. .
The department also transferred 1,900 doses to other suppliers. The Department of Health will announce additional vaccination opportunities at its health centers, multi-service centers, community locations and through mobile units as supply increases.
You can also contact your primary care provider and local pharmacy or the Texas State Department of Health Services COVID-19 vaccine availability map.
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