Fort Bend County gets nearly 6,000 doses
COVID-19 vaccines will be scheduled for preregistered residents, while Brazoria is setting appointments for 2,000 shots
Fort Bend County officials announced Thursday that they had received a shipment of nearly 6,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which will allow them to proceed with shots for some 5,000 residents who have signed up to be vaccinated.
Brazoria County, meanwhile, received 2,300 doses this week and began taking appointments for eligible residents at local health clinics.
Fort Bend officials were eagerly awaiting the vaccines. They announced in early January that they had received a shipment of 1,200 doses but had been scrambling to meet demand in the large suburban county.
“I am glad to announce that Fort Bend County Health & Human Services (FBCHHS) received a supply of 5,850 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine today and will begin scheduling appointments for those who are currently Preregistered with us,” County Judge KP George said in a written statement.
The county urged residents who had signed up to “keep their phones close by and to answer when we call to ensure that we are able to schedule their appointment.”
“We are working hard behind the scenes. Things are moving. Please be patient,” George said at a press conference earlier Thursday.
Online registration was opened earlier this month.
Those currently eligible to receive a vaccine are county residents age 65 and older, residents at long-term care facilities, health care workers and those with serious underlying medical conditions as outlined by the state health department.
The county of some 812,000 residents also reopened registration Tuesday afternoon at www.fbchealth.org for those interested in receiving a vaccine in the future.
Fort Bend has also been named as a vaccine distribution hub, which means it can receive larger quantities of the vaccine, according to George.
“You have to register to get vaccinated,” said George. “That actually helps all of us to administer this in an orderly fashion.”
Jacqueline Minter, director of the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services, acknowledged public concerns about the delays.
“One of the things that frustrates the public the most is the inability for the supply to meet the demand,” Minter said earlier Thursday. “We understand that. We are in phase one of vaccine distribution right now and because we are in phase one, there’s limited supply. The supply will get broader and we will be able to vaccinate more.”
George encouraged residents to continue wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as to avoid large gatherings and to follow CDC guidelines.
Nearly 10,000 residents have an active COVID-19 case, according to George, and more than 400 have died.
In neighboring Brazoria County, officials announced Thursday that residents eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines can now register for appointments at four county health clinics.
The Brazoria County Health Department is taking appointments for people who meet Phase 1A or 1B of state criteria for vaccinations — which include front-line health care workers, people over 65 years old, and individuals with underlying health conditions. Appointments are available at four clinic locations: Angleton, Alvin, Lake Jackson and Pearland.
Qualified residents can register online or call one of the health clinics to make an appointment — Angleton (979-864-1484), Alvin (281-585-3024), Lake Jackson (979-265-4446) and Pearland (281-485-5344). No walk-in appointments will be accepted. Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be taken online and by phone until all the slots are filled. Once the slots are filled, the online process will be closed until another vaccine allotment is received.
Individuals who call to make an appointment can download a consent form available in English and Spanish. Forms will also be available at the clinics.
“We got 2,300 doses this week, 300 of those doses are second doses for the first round of vaccines that started Christmas Eve,” said Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta. “We have a total of 2,000 first doses. Some of those were done a couple of days ago, remainder being done today. We have 500 doses for each one of our clinics.