You should register for COVID vaccine even if you aren’t eligible, Tarrant official says
Tarrant County officials are encouraging residents to sign up for the coronavirus vaccine even if they aren’t yet eligible.
While doses are limited to certain groups, signing up now could help get vaccinations out faster once the vaccine becomes more available, said Vinny Taneja, the county’s public health director.
People registering now also allows the public health department to plan for other phases instead of dealing with a rush of registrations when other groups become eligible, Taneja said on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of things that you can plan on when you have the data ahead of time,” he said.
Anyone 65 or older and anyone 16 or older with an underlying health condition can get the vaccine at any location across the state. Health care workers and residents and employees of long-term care facilities are also eligible.
The county administered 160,141 doses of the vaccine, and Taneja said public health has been pushing out vaccines as fast as it can. The department received about 9,000 doses for this week and they are already gone.
He urges people to have patience as doses are limited.
Tarrant County residents can register on the county’s website or over the phone at 817-248-6299.
Also on Tuesday, CVS announced that its pharmacies across Texas will begin offering the coronavirus vaccine to qualified people on Feb. 11.
Reservations for vaccines must be made at CVS’s website and will open on Feb. 9. People without internet access can call CVS customer service at 800-746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.
