More vaccines arrive in counties

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  • Vehicles are lined up to create an efficient flow for drivethru vaccine distribution at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Marble Falls, which was named a vaccine hub last week. Vaccines were being distributed to individuals categorized in groups 1A and 1B by the Department of State Health Services by appointment only. Photos contributed/ Baylor Scott & White
    Vehicles are lined up to create an efficient flow for drivethru vaccine distribution at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Marble Falls, which was named a vaccine hub last week. Vaccines were being distributed to individuals categorized in groups 1A and 1B by the Department of State Health Services by appointment only. Photos contributed/ Baylor Scott & White
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Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Marble Falls will receive another 975 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that will be distributed through its vaccine hub this week, state health officials announced Monday.

Meanwhile, some 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are being sent to Corner Drug, 600 Bessemer Ave., Llano to begin vaccinating individuals identified as being at high-risk of contracting COVID-19.

Burnet County

Last week, Department of State Health Services officials announced BSW Health System would open four new vaccine hubs at facilities across the state, with one being at BSW Medical Center Marble Falls, which distributed 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday and Friday.

The first people to receive the vaccine were those who hadsigned up to receive information through either myBSWHealth.com or through the myBSWHealth app and had been identified as meeting the DSHS guidelines for categories 1A or 1B, said Kristi Sherrill, chief policy, government and community affairs officer for Baylor Scott & White.

“We are actively calling and getting people scheduled now to come in and receive the vaccine,” she said. “If you wish to receive the vaccine, please register through the web site or, for those who use a smartphone, through the app, and click on the COVID vaccine tile and input your information.”

The two categories of people that qualify to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time include:

• Phase 1A: Front-line healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities.

• Phase 1B: People over 65 or with a chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Individuals are discouraged from calling or going to the hospital directly in an attempt to set up an appointment. In the meantime, those wanting to know more about the vaccine or have their questions answered can call the system-wide dedicated number at 844-BSW-VACC (844-279-8222).

The Marble Falls hub is expected to serve residents of four counties — Burnet, Llano, Blanco and San Saba — and estimates are there could be as many as 25,000 people in the vaccine eligible categories in those four counties at this time.

Also in Burnet County, the Ellen Halbert Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) received 100 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to distribute among staff and inmates at the facility. The Halbert Unit is located at 800 Ellen Halbert Drive in Burnet.

Llano County

Corner Drug, one of at least three identified vaccine providers in Llano County, was set to receive its shipment of Moderna vaccine this week, according to DSHS officials’ weekly announcement of vaccine distributions.

Meanwhile, Llano County has applied for its own joint vaccine hub status with Mason and San Saba counties, though DSHS has not yet rendered a decision on the application.

“This seems to have been accepted favorably at the state level although we have no written confirmation at this point,” said Dr. Jack Franklin of the Llano County Health Authority. “We will notify you when we receive a response from the state on our hub status.”

Llano County did receive 50 first doses of Moderna last week, which were administered Thursday to some of the county’s remaining 1A personnel.

“We took the opportunity to run a vaccine clinic with these 50 doses and train as many volunteers as possible in the procedures that need to occur with a COVID vaccine clinic,” Franklin added, encouraging residents to also apply to receive the vaccine at either the Fredericksburg hub at Hill Country Memorial or at BSW Marble Falls.

“We highly encourage everyone on our list to apply at both of these areas as well to see if they can get in faster,” Franklin said. “The quicker we can get the citizens of Llano County vaccinated the quicker we can get beyond this pandemic.”