BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Brazos County officials are urging the public to keep an eye out for contact from the COVID-19 vaccine hub after some of those who registered to get the vaccine didn't respond to the invite to come get it done.
Barbara Smith, the County Judge Public Communications Officer, said 54 vacancies were reported today after they were invited to get the COVID-19 vaccine but didn't respond to the invitation. Thursday, there will be 172 vacancies due to those registered not responding.
However, those vacancies aren't going unfilled, according to Smith. The Red Cross is helping by reaching out to 1A and 1B registrations in under served communities and helping them get to the vaccination site to get their shots.
"We called 54 people at eight in the morning and they were here by 2:00 p.m.. They are wanting to be here and ready like anybody else. These are people who have no access to email, little communication and have been quarantined for a year. They’re eager to get it as well and very grateful, said A.J. Renolds, Executive Director of The American Red Cross of Central & South Texas.
According to Renolds, all of the vaccine allotted for each day has to be used. The staff has to be very intentional with efforts to make sure the vaccine gets to members of the community they know are in need.
"New registration systems, technical issues, registration issues. Every time we find a kink we are working it out as a team and we’re doing it at lightning speed. We do want people to appreciate that although everyone is waiting, we understand that. The pace we are going is very quick and we’re making it work in the long haul, said Renolds.
Smith said the county sent out 8,000 invitations to people who registered for the COVID-19 vaccine last week, even with only 5,000 vaccines being available. She said they expected not everyone would respond to the invitation because either they didn't know they got the invitation or they had already received the shot elsewhere.
Remember, if you need a ride to get your COVID-19 vaccine in Brazos County or a neighboring county, Brazos Transit District has you covered. They'll pick you up, take you to get the vaccine, and bring you home, all for free! If you need a ride, click the link below and schedule your time!
Do you still need to sign up to get the COVID-19 vaccine? Are you not sure about the vaccine and need more info? Those links are provided below: