HOUSTON – As more doses of the coronavirus vaccine arrive in the Houston area, officials are ramping up the process of administering those shots.

Vaccines are only available to people who are eligible under phases 1A and 1B of the state’s distribution plan. Certain types of teachers and child care workers are also eligible to receive the vaccine. Click here for more information about who is included in those phases.

No matter where you live or which group you are in, officials are urging people to practice patience because the demand for the vaccine is outpacing the available supply.

If you are eligible to receive the vaccine, here’s the information provided by government and health officials about how to register for a waitlist to receive it. Eligible people can also contact their health care provider directly for information about how to receive the vaccine.

Austin County

A pre-registration list has been opened for Austin County. Click the link below and then click the “Special Registration” button. People will remain on the list and appointments will be filled in the order the form was received when vaccines become available.

Online: Click here

Brazoria County

UTMB’s Angleton Danbury campus has a waitlist that is open. Click here to join the waitlist.

All online appointments have been filled, but there are a few phone-in appointments available for those in Phase 1B who have not been able to register for an online appointment.

You can call the following numbers to book an appointment:

  • Alvin Clinic – 281-585-3024
  • Angleton Clinic – 979-864-1484
  • Lake Jackson Clinic – 979-265-4446
  • Pearland Clinic – 281-485-5344

Brazos County

All appointments will be directly scheduled through the newly established Vaccination Hub website, brazoshub.com. The site is live with information about Hub operations, and available appointments are also live for this week’s vaccine allotment. On subsequent weeks, the Hub website will post available appointments on Fridays at 10 a.m. As has been the past practice, the number of appointments available each week will be dependent upon the allocation of vaccines to the Hub by the State of Texas.

Chambers County

To access the online portal, click here or call 409-267-2460. Chambers County has opened a waitlist here.

Registration is required to receive the shot. Walkups or drive-ups will not be accepted.

Fort Bend County

Fort Bend Health and Human Services have launched an online registration portal where people can register for appointments. You can find more information at fbchealth.org.

Fort Bend Health and Human Services opened a waitlist for eligible residents. Those who qualify for the vaccine will be placed on a waiting list to be invited later to schedule their appointment. This may take several weeks. When you have registered to join the waiting list, please allow15-30 minutes for the waiting list confirmation email/text message to arrive. Later, you will be notified via email, text message, and/or phone with a link to schedule your appointment. This may take several weeks. If you registered by phone and do not have access to the Internet, you will be provided a date and time for an appointment.

Anyone with questions about the vaccine or the registration process can call 832-471-1373.

Galveston County

A pilot program for a vaccine waitlist was opened on Jan. 27. Officials said the list will be used in the scheduling process for future vaccination appointments.

Only people who fall into phases 1A and 1B are asked to sign up at this time.

More information can be found here.

Online: utmbhealth.com/vaccine

Phone: 877-389-2318

The county is also looking for volunteers to help with vaccination efforts.

Grimes County

A pre-registration list has been opened for Austin County. Click the link below and then click the “Special Registration” button. People will remain on the list and appointments will be filled in the order the form was received when vaccines become available.

Online: Click here

Harris County

The county’s waitlist opened on Jan. 26.

While anyone can signup for the waitlist, only people who are eligible to receive the vaccine in phases 1A and 1B will be able to get the shot at this time. The system will not be on a first-come-first-served basis. Eligible people will be subject to a randomization process to ensure that administration is fair. People who are currently ineligible will be contacted once they are eligible.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said that the waitlist does not mean that the county has a huge stockpile of the vaccine.

Online: publichealth.harriscountytx.gov

Phone: 832-927-8787 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday; available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese).

Houston

There are two waitlists that have been opened by the Houston Health Department. One for the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and the other for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Both waitlists can be found at houstonemergency.org/covid-19-vaccines or by calling 832-393-4301.

People with disabilities can call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 832-393-5500.

Anyone else needing registration assistance can contact the COVID-19 call center at 832-393-4220.

Liberty County

Emergency Hospital Systems Vaccine Hub is administering the vaccine. You can get more information at emergencyhospitals.care. If you already have an appointment and need to cancel it, you can call 281-806-7370.

Montgomery County

There is a new website for getting on our waitlist and scheduling process to register for a COVID-19 vaccine. This replaces our previous waitlist. If you were on the previous list you will receive an email to complete steps in this new system.

You should NOT register if you have already received a vaccination. Please read below carefully to understand the steps involved in this new process.

First – visit and https://lonestarvaccine.saferestart.net/ complete “Step 1: I need to register for a COVID-19 Vaccination”.

Second – once appointments are available, 5 digit codes will be sent to individuals for scheduling.

Third – when you receive a code, you will revisit https://lonestarvaccine.saferestart.net/ and select “Step 2: I have a code for COVID-19 Scheduling”.

Disclaimer!

Wait times could be weeks or months depending on the availability and distribution phase.

Who can get the vaccine now?

Front-line healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities, people over 65, or adults (16+) with a chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

There is a Vaccination Plan

Texas is distributing vaccines to hospitals, pharmacies, local health departments, freestanding ERs and other clinics throughout the state. A Vaccine Allocation Panel has developed a vaccine allocation strategy breaking up the distribution into phases.

Pearland

The city of Pearland has created an online registration portal where people can register for a vaccine appointment whenever new doses become available. Registration is currently closed but will be reopened whenever more doses are received.

Online: us1.quickscreen.health/pearland-vaccination#/screening

Polk County

Polk County officials launched a waiting list on Feb. 9 for people in Phase 1B who want to get the coronavirus vaccine. This is waitlist is temporary and will be replaced with a more sophisticated self-registration system that is expected to be launched soon.

Online: Click here

Phone: 936-327-6826

Waller County

A pre-registration list has been opened for Austin County. Click the link below and then click the “Special Registration” button. People will remain on the list and appointments will be filled in the order the form was received when vaccines become available.

Online: Click here

Washington County

A pre-registration list has been opened for Austin County. Click the link below and then click the “Special Registration” button. People will remain on the list and appointments will be filled in the order the form was received when vaccines become available.

Online: Click here

Other methods

State map of providers

The Texas Department of State Health Services has created a map of health care providers that have been provided doses of the vaccine. You can click here to view it. Officials said patients should contact the provider directly to determine the availability of the vaccine. This map is maintained by DSHS.

Vaccine hubs 

There are 13 vaccine hubs in the Houston area. You can find information about how to join the waitlist for these hubs at dshs.texas.gov.

Hospital systems (Updated: March 9, 2021)

  • St. Luke’s Health and TSU are partnering to open a vaccine clinic in Houston’s Third Ward. The clinic is expected to be fully operational by Feb. 15. People who qualify to receive the vaccine under the current guidelines can join St. Luke’s waiting list at stlukeshealth.org. Those who sign up and are qualified to receive the vaccine will be contacted about making an appointment.
  • Memorial Hermann has launched an online COVID-19 Vaccination Request Form. Eligible, registered individuals will be selected at random and notified when vaccine supply appointments are available. More information can be found here.
  • Houston Methodist announced a new registration opening on Jan. 25. It has since been filled. More information can be found here.

Pharmacies 

  • CVS Starting Thursday, CVS Health will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to those who are eligible (in the 1B Phase) at 47 more select CVS Pharmacies in Texas. Approximately 15 of them will be in the greater Houston area, CVS says. Vaccines are offered on an appointment-only basis at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. Those without online access can contact customer service at (800) 746-7287. Click here to schedule an appointment.
  • Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies at select sores in Texas will begin administering the coronavirus vaccine soon. People can make appointments on the Walmart and Sam’s Club websites when doses are available. More information, including a list of stores in Texas that will be administering the vaccine, can be found here.

Source: www.click2houston.com