COVID-19 News

'Inappropriately shared' appointments for COVID-19 vaccines in Austin causes confusion

UT Health Austin says misinformation about open vaccine portals caused massive lines today on the campus.

Photo by Brian Bell/KVUE News

KVUE — Long lines were seen at a University of Texas COVID-19 vaccination site on Monday after a COVID-19 vaccine scheduling link was "inappropriately shared widely through unofficial networks with false information," according to UT.

UT told KVUE this misinformation led to thousands of people signing up for appointments who "did not follow the UT Health Austin registration process." All of the appointments scheduled using this link were being canceled, UT officials told KVUE. The only way people can register for vaccine appointments through UT Health Austin is by completing the registration process at UTHealthAustin.org.

The only eligible people for vaccination through UT Health are those who fit in the 1A and 1B categories, UT said.

Here is the full statement UT officials sent KVUE Monday afternoon:

"Over the weekend, we became aware of an active scheduling link that was inappropriately shared widely through unofficial networks with false information about vaccine availability and who was eligible to sign up for appointments at UT Health Austin this week. This resulted in thousands of individuals signing up for appointments who did not follow the UTHA registration process, did not meet the criteria, and did not receive a personalized email from the university asking them to schedule. All appointments scheduled in this manner are in the process of being canceled; however, some individuals have showed up on-site today, resulting in longer than normal lines. UTHA is actively working to implement a technological solution to prevent this from occurring again in the future and anticipates having this in place later this week. The only way to validly request a vaccine through UT Austin is by completing the registration process at UTHealthAustin.org. At this time, we are vaccinating those individuals in Phase 1A and Phase 1B, who have completed the COVID-19 Vaccination Request Form. To avoid misinformation regarding vaccine distribution at UT Austin, we encourage you to visit this page for the latest information. We appreciate your patience and will continue to provide the most up-to-date information as it becomes available. Individuals who followed the appropriate sign up process will be vaccinated as scheduled."

---

To read the full story, head to KVUE News.

health

spooky szn

Texas is the 3rd most Halloween-obsessed state, study finds

Photo courtesy of Pumpkin Nights

undefined

Is Halloween the new Christmas? Sure seems like it in Texas, which just earned top-5 status in a new study of the U.S. states that are the most into the Halloween spirit.

When it comes to doing up the spookiest holiday of the year, the Lone Star State comes in as the third-most Halloween-obsessed state in America.

The report by outdoor furniture retailer Backyard Oasis ranked all 50 states based on an analysis of search results for Halloween costumes, decor, candy, haunted houses, upcoming Halloween events, and more. State populations were also factored into the rankings to ensure the scores were "accurately comparable."

Texas ranked No. 3 with a composite score of 48.16 points, beat only by California who ruled the list at No. 1, and New York which came in at No. 2, earning gilded costume crowns as the top two most Halloween-enthusiastic states.

According to the study's data, Texas is home to 47 haunted houses. The state has more than 75 Spirit Halloween stores in 2024, including nearly 30 in DFW, a dozen in Houston, half a dozen in Austin, and four in San Antonio.

Austinites have plenty of Halloween events to choose from, including a night out at one of many themed bars or artsy showcases. Looking outside of Austin, there are approximately 3,000 Halloween-related events happening all around the state in October.

Many trick-or-treaters dream of getting full size candy bars for Halloween, but in a surprising twist, the study found that the most popular Halloween candy in Texas is actually Sour Patch Kids. The sour-then-sweet candy is also highly popular in New York and Illinois, the report says.

Here's how Backyard Oasis broke down the rest of Texas' score:

9,314,440 – Halloween costume searches in October 2023
1,168,320 – Halloween decoration searches
445,670 – Halloween candy searches

Backyard Oasis CEO Andy Wu said in the report that the spirit of Halloween isn't just about giving out candy or dressing up in fun costumes, it's about sharing in a "tradition that sparks creativity and joy across the U.S."

"Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, bringing people together through creativity and celebration," said Wu. "It's amazing to see how different states embrace the holiday in their own unique ways, from massive costume searches to thrilling haunted houses."

The top 10 most Halloween-obsessed states are:

No. 1 – California
No. 2 – New York
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – Florida
No. 5 – Illinois
No. 6 – Ohio
No. 7 – Pennsylvania
No. 8 – Indiana
No. 9 – Michigan
No. 10 – Massachusetts

The least spooky state in the U.S. is Wyoming, which came in at No. 50, joined by nearby states Montana and South Dakota. New Mexico (No. 46) and Vermont (No. 47) were the other two states on the list's bottom five.

The full report can be found on backyardoas.com.

openings reports lists holidays