Coronavirus News
Austin's first doses of COVID-19 vaccine given at Dell Medical School
Four sites in Texas received the COVID-19 vaccine on December 14, part of a rollout of doses being shipped out across the U.S.
Texas received 19,500 doses, with another 250,000 doses being distributed to 109 facilities in Texas this week.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the first four sites to get it are:
- Dell Medical School's UT Health Austin
- MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
- Methodist Dallas Medical Center
- Wellness 360 at UT Health San Antonio
The first vaccinations in Austin were distributed around 10 am on December 15, and went to staff and clinicians at UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of Dell Medical School.
Ten more hospitals and medical centers in the Capital City will be receiving doses of the vaccine in the coming weeks, including Seton Medical Center, St. David's Medical Center, and Dell Seton Medical Center At University Of Texas.
Healthcare and front-line workers will receive the vaccine first. Officials are still working out the timeline but the general public is not expected to get the vaccine until spring 2021 at the earliest.
Dr. Paul Klotman, president of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a press conference that getting vaccinated is helpful to both individuals and their communities.
"The thing about everyone pitching in, do it for yourself because it will help protect you, but when you get the herd immunity it will help protect people who are unable medically to get the vaccine," Klotman said.
