| | | | For immediate release: January 29, 2021
Contact: Austin-Travis County Joint Information System, 512-974-0699, hsempio@austintexas.gov Austin Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Updates and Operational Adjustments
Changes to COVID-19 testing locations, additional vaccine site, second doses | | | Austin, Texas – Austin Public Health (APH) is sharing the latest operations adjustments and COVID-19 vaccine updates. This information is current as of noon Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates To improve COVID-19 vaccine access across Austin-Travis County, APH is opening a third vaccination site in northern Travis County. This site will also be by appointment only and will not accept walk-ups. The site location will be shared with those who have appointments.
This week, APH began to provide second doses to those who received their first doses in APH's first allocation from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). These individuals are in Phase 1A and include nursing home residents and staff not covered by the state program, APH and other healthcare workers administering vaccine and conducting COVID-19 testing, and first responders.
Individuals who have received their first vaccine through APH will be proactively contacted when it is time for them to schedule their second dose. As a reminder, individuals do not need to get their second dose precisely four weeks after their first dose (for Moderna). The vaccine will be equally effective if they receive it up to 40 days later, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more vaccine information and answers to frequently asked questions, visit: austintexas.gov/vaccine-faqs. This site is updated regularly.
As of Friday, Jan. 29, APH has given out a total of about 30,000 first doses of the vaccine. There are about 80,000 individuals who have signed up through the APH pre-registration site who fit into Phase 1A or 1B, and over 500,000 in 1A or 1B in Austin-Travis County. We are asking the public to be patient with our teams, as the vaccine doses are still very limited. APH is seeking to vaccinate the community as equitably and efficiently as possible. While the vaccine is still limited in Austin-Travis County, we will continue to survey the community to identify those in Phase 1A and 1B.
DSHS has informed APH that they will receive 12,000 doses for the week of Feb. 1.
Operational Adjustments To better utilize APH's resources, the Givens and Little Walnut Creek COVID-19 test sites are closed. These closures will not impact the number of tests APH can provide in a week, which is still approximately 11,000. Individuals with insurance are encouraged to get tested through their doctor or pharmacy.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has contracted with a new vendor for the Pflugerville test site. Individuals will still be required to make an appointment; the new URL to register for a test is: texas.spartancovidtesting.com. The new operating hours for the site are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Media Information Vaccine sites are operating as medical facilities and media will not be permitted on-site to protect patient privacy. Additionally, we ask media to respect the privacy of these sites and to not publish the names of the sites in their stories to prevent overcrowding so we can continue to follow social distancing measures for the safety of both patients and staff.
B-roll and interviews in English and Spanish have been recorded by the City of Austin and are available for media to use. Please credit the City of Austin for any b-roll or interviews used.
B-roll and interviews of the vaccine site available at this link.
Media with questions about APH COVID-19 vaccinations should reach out to hsempio@austintexas.gov or 512-974-0699.
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas, visit dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx. For more information about the COVID-19 in Austin-Travis County, visit AustinTexas.gov/COVID19-Vaccines.
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