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Residents who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will have several locations to do so. However, demand exceeds supply, so venues have created waiting lists. File photo -
one location for willing individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital will be notifying eligible patients to schedule appointments. File photo
Residents in Burnet and Llano counties who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may have to sign up to do so in several places — including at one of the regional vaccine “hubs” — and see which option pans out first, county officials said last week.
“If an individual desires to get the vaccine, it is imperative to get registered on a list,” Burnet County Judge James Oakley said. “The numbers from those lists are reported weekly by the providers to the state. The state then determines allocations of shipments from the manufacturer directly to the providers.
“Those shipments are just a fraction of the actual need, based on current limitations of availability from the manufacturer. Otherwise, there is no rule saying you can only get the vaccine in the county where you live.”
Vaccine availability in both Burnet and Llano counties has been limited, but the state is working with Hill Country Memorial in Fredericksburg (Gillespie County) as a vaccine hub.
Burnet County
Baylor Scott & White Marble Falls was provided 975 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for the week of Jan. 25. However, according to BSW officials, while they are vaccinating “Texans who meet Phase 1A and Phase 1B criteria, as informed by state and federal guidance,” they are not taking appointment requests at this time.
“We are messaging those at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to schedule an appointment for the vaccine through our digital portal, MyBSWHealth,” BSW said in a statement. “MyBSWHealth is open to all Texans and is the easiest way to be notified of vaccine appointments availability, if eligible and as supply allows. If you already have an account, log in to update your contact information today.
“Doses remain limited and vaccinations are by appointment only. If you have the opportunity to get vaccinated at other state-designated hub locations, we encourage you to do so. Your patience is appreciated as we work to quickly vaccinate as many Texans as possible. Please continue to follow the recommended guidelines of masking, physical distancing and hand hygiene.”
Other Burnet County COVID-19 vaccine providers include the following:
• H-E-B Marble Falls and Burnet: once vaccines are available at these locations, you can register for a time slot for phase 1A or 1B only. No walk-ins taken. Check heb. com for more information.
• CVS Pharmacy, Marble Falls: By appointment only but no vaccines in Texas at this time.
• Walgreens Marble Falls and Burnet: No vaccines at this time.
• Atkins Pharmacy and Atkins Express, Marble Falls: After preregistering at atkinspharmacy.com/covid-19-vaccine-pre-registration, you will be notified whten a vaccine is available.
• Ascension Seton Highland Lakes: Appointment only. Ascension Seton is notifying eligible patients and will schedule appointments. Do not call.
Burnet City Manager David Vaughn said Burnet Fire/ EMS “has been working diligently and is fully prepared to begin scheduling vaccination clinics as soon as doses are available.”
“Once the deliver date and number of doses to be received from the state has been confirmed, the city will publish an online link for those members of the public eligible under groups 1A and 1B to be able to schedule an appointment at the Community Center at 401 E. Jackson St.,” Vaughn said.
“The city will send out a formal press release to all local media outlets and will publish updates at cityofburnet.com. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Llano County
“Unfortunately, Llano County received 0 (zero) doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week (for Jan. 25),” said Dr. Jack Franklin, the Llano County Health Authority. “We are working with some of the larger medical providers in the area to try and obtain enough vaccines to cover our remaining 1A personnel (still approximately 120 unvaccinated in the local area).
“We have approximately 5,500 people on the waiting list in Llano County. We have ordered 7,000 vaccine doses through the state’s vaccine portal, but have been given no information on when these will be forthcoming.
“Please be patient with us as we work diligently to procure immunizations for our community,” Franklin added. “The Llano County Emergency Operations team feels confident that we can rapidly administer these vaccines as soon as they are delivered.”
Franklin and Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham said they have requested vaccine for Llano County 1A and 1B category personnel in the county and cities of Llano, Sunrise Beach Village, and Horseshoe Bay.
Franklin’s medical practice, Hill Country Direct Care, is an established vaccine provider for Llano County, according to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website. Other established providers include Bay Pharmacy in Horseshoe Bay and Corner Drug in Llano.
Vaccine hub
Hill Country Memorial in Fredericksburg in Gillespie County is serving as a vaccine hub and received 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine for the week of Jan. 25 and began opening appointment registration at noon Monday, Jan. 25, to members of the public who fall under Phases 1A and 1B.
Appointments are required to receive a vaccination and can be made by going to hillcountrymemorial. org/hill-country-covid. Completed forms from the website must be brought with you to your appointment.
Patients who get appointments are asked to arrive 15 minutes early if they need help completing their paperwork; otherwise, they may be asked to remain in their vehicle until their appointment. A mask is required and you must bring a photo ID.
You are encouraged to wear a short-sleeved shirt. If you are running a fever of 99.4 or great, please call in advance to reschedule your appointment. When selecting a date for your first dose, please ensure your availability for your second dose 28 days later.
Last week, appointments for the 1,200-dose allotment received by Hill Country Memorial for the week of Jan. 18 were booked up by 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, and they are expected to go fast this week as well.
The hospital is encouraging people to check the website often because slots may be added if a person cancels an appointment or additional doses arrive.
Veterans of U.S. military branches can also visit va.gov/ health-care/covid-19-vaccine to register and obtain vaccine in Kerrville at the VA.
