COVID-19 Vaccine is here. Finally!

Vaccination has begun, progress is slow as vaccine supplies are very limited. We hope to have doses soon.

As many members of Group 1A (healthcare providers) have been vaccinated, we hope to soon see doses available for patients. We have had questions about who is now eligible for the vaccine, where it is available, and which vaccine to take.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance is complex, the State of Texas has simplified the group system. Phase 1A includes healthcare providers and residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes individuals age 65 and older, as well as those age 16 and older with medical conditions that place them at increased risk for severe COVID disease (cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes). The State of Texas has a nifty vaccine locator map, but it is basically worthless because it does not show currently available vaccines, only prior doses shipped to various sites.

We have been approved to distribute the Moderna vaccine but we do not know when, or how many doses we will receive. We will contact patients when we are allocated vaccine doses so that we can schedule your immunization.

Because we do not know when we will receive doses, or how many will be available, we recommend that our patients also register with their county health department for vaccination as well as with any other vaccine provider who is maintaining a list.

Vaccine registration or waiting list links:

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services has posted a list of vaccine “hub” locations in each county. These sites are being given priority for upcoming vaccine doses and we recommend registering with each of the hub as well as the non-hub sites and waiting lists below.

The Parkland Hospital online waiting list (requires MyChart registration, then “schedule appointment” and select COVID vaccine).

UT Southwestern Medical Center online waiting list.

Collin County (Texas) online waiting list.

Denton County (Texas) online waiting list.

Tarrant County (Texas) online waiting list.

City of Allen (Texas) online waiting list.

City of Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center (Texas) online waiting list.

City of Garland (Texas) online waiting list.

CVS Pharmacy scheduling link.

Market Street United online waiting list.

Tom Thumb Pharmacy online waiting list.

Kroger Pharmacy scheduling link.

Trinity Apothecary Pharmacy in Carrollton online waiting list.

Mid-cities Pharmacy in Hurst online waiting list.

HEB Pharmacy does not yet have a waiting list but plans to set one up.

Walgreens Pharmacy registration and waiting list.

Walmart Pharmacy scheduling link.

Which vaccine should I get? The one available to you soonest! The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are very similar; both are very effective and very safe. As more data becomes available about future vaccine candidates, we will update readers here.

Related, the FDA clarified today that we should continue to use the dose and schedule for each vaccine as they were approved. This follows some discussion among physicians about delaying the second dose or reducing the amount of vaccine administered (to allow more patients to be given the first vaccine dose).