Leann and I received our Covid vaccine almost a month before anyone else in Austin. Most people are still waiting in Austin for their vaccine. Austin was initially given enough vaccine to cover the 1A category of people in front line health care. As of this article, not all nursing home residents have received theirs, though most have in our area.
After nursing home residents - vaccinations have been spotty. This article could care less about the politics of the why’s and wherefores. Please don’t write me to create a debate, this isn’t what this article is about – agree, disagree… I don’t care - but this is a blueprint on HOW to get your vaccine before summer.
Texas is roughly 48th or 49th, as of a month ago, in terms of the number of vaccines provided, which given our population puts us in a shortage for the time being. This will turn around by summer no doubt. If you don’t want to wait, follow these steps. SPOILER ALERT: It’s a lot of work and if you’re lazy read no further.
Per my anecdotal analysis of vaccine distribution, it’s heavily weighted east of I-35, trending more towards North East Texas. Let’s call it the upper east quadrant of Texas. The non 1A vaccines in Texas, are slanted towards rural areas with higher density older African American populations in lower income areas. This is intentional, (it isn’t political); and this distribution was established under President Trump for good reason – it is what it is: no use debating it. These areas coincidently have lower health insurance coverage and result in high hospitalizations/fatalities. There was absolutely bi-partisan support for the vaccine allocation on the basis of mortality not wealth – it’s not racist, allocation is based on simple science. I don’t want to debate this with you; I am providing you a game plan for you to get your vaccine now instead of it being wasted.
For whatever reason, these areas are having surprisingly less utilization of the vaccines, so there are significant amounts of excess vaccines. Most of these rural areas are happy to give you the vaccine.
Go to this website:
https://tdem.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3700a84845c5470cb0dc3ddace5c376b
Now look at the web page – it’s mostly covered in red dots (not the ones we are looking for) ….
Display the filters that come up on the right side of screen
Notice the three switches on the right, note the middle one.
This middle switch – with a blue dot - is titled “1ST SINGLE DOSE AVAILABILITY VIEW” Then move the switch to the right. The Texas map will then be covered with blue dots. Bingo…. Now you’re close.
Click on various blue dots and they will tell you where the vaccine is available – in the Eastern quadrant. Call and contact each place and get on their waiting list. Start contacting sites over an hour away from Austin, also tend towards locations not near affluent larger cities. I suggest registering on at least 20 different wait list. We put our name on 100, seriously – we got our first call 6 days later. Since then we have been contacted with offers of over 8 more vaccines. Also, carefully review the categories that might apply – kidney disease, most people have some form of COPD in Texas, kids in school, or in contact with high risk elders. Be bold, be persistent and realize, in every series of vaccinations there is serum being thrown away or wasted.
Finally, be willing to drive. If you can drive across Texas to hunt or fish, don’t whine about driving to get vaccines. You aren’t an oyster planted in one place; the weather’s nice – make the drive.
Good luck ! Everyone following our program have had their first dose of vaccine in two to three weeks.