Texas Health District is late in giving doses of COVID-19 vaccine until after Christmas

Williamson County and the City of Health District received 900 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, and then closed their Christmas offices.

District officials said on Thursday that the vaccine arrived earlier than scheduled and that it was impossible to speed up vaccine administration plans as of Saturday. But the move has drawn a strong rebuke from local leaders, who have felt that health officials have shied away from failing to deliver vaccine doses quickly.

“Actually, we have the instrument in our toolbox and we’re hanging on to it,” said Williamson County Judge Gravell. He criticized district officials for taking leave while first responders in suburban Central Texas County, home to Round Rock, continued to work.

“I am deeply disappointed,” he added.

Gravell said he urged the health district to administer the vaccine immediately to eligible people, including front-line health workers and first responders. But district clinics will not reopen until Saturday.

Health district spokeswoman Deb Strahler said the county was told Tuesday night a shipment of vaccine doses would not arrive Wednesday, so the team was surprised when it did. Planning efforts were completed on Tuesday and include four consecutive days of vaccinations starting Saturday at 7:30 a.m., she said.

“We felt it was important to be consistent and not create last-minute changes that would generate potential chaos, reduce attendance at participants and increase the potential for wasted doses of vaccine, which should be given within six hours of opening a bottle, “Strahler said.

Strahler defended the district’s decision to close for the holidays.

“Our vaccination operations are based around shift hours that have worked best for partner agencies, and our staff will work on the holiday weekend in their normal scheduled free time,” she said.

Texas health officials have reserved the first doses of vaccine for front-line health workers and for residents and long-term care staff.

The health sector said it would vaccinate firefighters who engage in emergency services, such as pre-hospital care, the latest respondents who provide services for those with COVID-19, and school nurses who care for students and teachers.

Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine first arrived in Texas last week, marking a historic milestone in the fight against coronavirus, even though the state is struggling with a wave of new cases and hospitalizations aimed at the holidays.

The monumental task of administering vaccines to every person who wants one can take six to nine months.

Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Services, earlier this week called on providers who received vaccine shipments to act “with a sense of urgency” in vaccinating those who are willing and eligible.

“The purpose of this letter is to reiterate that we direct all entities to whom the vaccine has been allocated to administer their entire allocation at full deliberate speed,” Hellerstedt wrote. “Keep in mind that more vaccines will be delivered in the coming days, weeks and months. The time has come to vaccinate willing individuals. “