Austin, Texas – Beginning this weekend, Austin Public Health (APH) will stand up its first drive-thru operation to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The pilot will take place at the Toney Burger Center, and traffic patterns will be changing on-site. During the pilot, 1,500 people will be vaccinated, but the site has the capacity to expand and serve 3,000 people per day. APH practiced drive-thru vaccine operations on Nov. 7, 2020, while distributing flu shots at the Travis County Expo Center. Previously, all vaccine sites have been walk-in operations, as drive-thru sites are much more labor-intensive, requiring nearly three times as many staff and volunteers to operate. Because APH continues to receive the same amount of vaccine, site coordinators are reallocating vaccines from other locations. All sites combined, APH has the capacity to vaccinate up to 37,000 every week. Since January, APH has been receiving an average of 12,000 Moderna first doses per week, followed by the second doses four weeks later. As a reminder, to protect patient privacy and ensure smooth operations, the APH vaccination sites are by appointment only. For more information about COVID-19, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19. | 
