State starts website to connect Texans with COVID vaccine

On the same day all Texas adults became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, state leaders launched a new website to help members of the public find doses.

Through the Texas Public Health Vaccine Scheduler, Texans can create a profile to place themselves on a statewide wait list for the vaccine. A day after individuals enter their personal information and preferred appointment times, the state will match them with the next available appointment in their home county.

If no appointments are available, the website will keep the user’s information on file until the next opportunity pops up, state health officials said Monday.

Anyone who chooses not to sign up online can also call a tollfree number to get their name on the list: 833-832-7067. The line will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

“The primary goal is to ensure that we have a place to identify Texans who are ready

and willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Nancy Ejuma, the state’s deputy associate commissioner for regional health services.

The scheduler will help find “pockets of opportunity across the state” to set up vaccine events, which could range from small walk-in sites to large community hubs, she said.

The statewide website is largely a tool for Texas’ small, mostly rural counties that do not have their own health departments. The Department of State Health Services oversees public health initiatives in nearly 200 counties, and 13 county and city health departments have also opted into the service.

Many large counties — including Harris, Bexar, Dallas, Tarrant and Travis — have developed their own vaccine registration pages over the past several months. Those will continue to operate alongside and separately from the state’s page.

Additional vaccine providers with their own signup sites, including H-E-B and CVS, will also exist alongside the state’s scheduler.

“Many entities — including pharmacies, medical practices and some public health departments — are operating their own registration systems and will continue to do so,” the health department said in a news release. “People who want to be vaccinated should continue to look for available vaccine at those providers as well.”

As of Monday, all Texans ages 16 and over are eligible for a shot. The state has administered nearly 10.5 million doses so far; 7 million people have received at least one shot, and 3.7 million are fully vaccinated.