Previously, more than 700 individuals identified in phases 1A or 1B of the state vaccination plan received the first dose of the vaccine from the health department Jan. 21 and 27.
During a county Commissioners Court meeting on Jan. 28, county Public Health Director Cheryl Fraser announced the county had received a new allocation of 4,000 doses that will be administered to residents with appointments Feb. 3-4.
“We just ask the public to be patient with us and know that we’re doing everything we can including putting all our effort into making sure everybody that wants a vaccine gets a vaccine,” Fraser said during the meeting.
Residents were able to register to receive the vaccine on the county’s Standby List, which the county introduced Jan. 26. On Jan. 27, the list was closed to new registrations after more than 12,000 individuals signed up within the first 24 hours of the platform’s launch.
According to the county, only front-line health care workers, residents at long-term care facilities, people over the age of 65 and people over the age of 16 with chronic medical conditions were eligible to register through the platform before it was closed.
As more vaccines are made available, the county plans to reopen the waitlist, said Cary Zayas, the public information officer for Comal County.
“It's difficult for us to try to plan ahead when we don't know if we're going to get 200 or 4,000 [doses],” said Zayas.
Guadalupe County is still waiting
On Jan. 13, the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center requested 500 doses of vaccine per week with a plan to hold a small-scale vaccine clinic at the hospital, according to a hospital press release.
The state denied the request, and the hospital received guidance to partner with a local health authority to administer vaccines more effectively.
On Jan. 20, the Guadalupe County Emergency Management Department, the city of Seguin and the GRMC submitted a proposal to the Texas Department of State Health Services to create three vaccine hubs in the county with the capability of providing 1,000 vaccines per day.
The county has yet to receive authorization from the DSHS regarding the plan and has yet to establish a resident registration program.
During a Jan. 28 press conference, the DSHS announced an additional 126,000 first doses are expected to arrive in Texas next week and will likely be directed to underserved areas.
All vaccine providers will continue to prioritize residents in the Phase 1B category, as the state has not yet outlined who will be included in the next group authorized to receive the vaccine or when that shift will take place.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 28,274 Comal County residents and 23,182 Guadalupe County residents are over the age of 65, representing 18.1% and 13.89% of the county populations, respectively.
Since vaccines first became available in Texas in mid-December, Guadalupe County health care providers have received a total of 4,275 doses, which were allocated to 10 registered providers. Comal County has received a total of 9,400 doses, which were distributed to 15 registered providers.
Brian Rash contributed to this report.
