Here’s how Houston plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccines

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HOUSTON – The Houston chief medical officer said hospitals would be the first facilities in the region to receive a coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available locally.

“We will protect healthcare workers, but it is especially healthcare workers who care for COVID-positive patients,” Dr David Persse said Monday.

The vaccines would also be available in places where you would expect to receive a vaccine, such as a doctor’s office or clinic.

“We will prioritize communities that are at increased risk and lower availability due to all kinds of health care inequities,” said Persse.

Also on Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and the Texas State Department Health Services released a distribution plan explaining who would receive the vaccine first.

The list includes healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people in vulnerable populations who are at greater risk of serious illness and death if they contract COVID-19.

The governor’s office said factors such as demographics, poverty, insurance status and geography would also play a role in the process.

So how long will the average person have to wait?

“I hear April is a common answer to this question, but I would put a little asterisk with that answer because we’re going to have to wait and see how quickly it comes out and how quickly it’s consumed,” Persse said.

While several potential vaccines have reported encouraging results over the past week, the timing will depend on when the federal government approves a vaccine.

Dr Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, compared efforts to distribute the flu vaccine.

“While it’s going to be disheartening to vaccinate so many Americans in a relatively short period of time, it’s not like we’ve never done similar things before,” Hotez said.

The health department expects to receive the manufacturer’s vaccines, Persse said.

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