A partnership between the City of Burnet, Burnet County and Ascension Seton Highland Lakes will allow 500 individuals to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus this Thursday, March 11, at the Burnet Community Center — with plans to hold more vaccination clinics in the future.
Burnet County Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Barho and Burnet Fire Chief Mark Ingram announced the welcome news at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Burnet County Commissioners Court.
Meanwhile, school teachers from the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District will have their own vaccination clinic at the center now that both the Biden Administration and the state of Texas have declared school personnel to be essential frontline workers in need of protection against the virus, giving them priority to receive the vaccine.
“We are also working with Marble Falls ISD and with Faith Academy and our goal is to get all of our teachers and school staff vaccinated as soon as we can,” Barho said.
The 500 doses being delivered at this Thursday’s shot clinic were already spoken for within just three hours after the agencies found out they would be receiving them, Barho said.
“We need more vaccines in this county and I think we have demonstrated there is a need and we have the abillity to facilitate a clinic and do these vaccinations and we don’t need the assistance of the government to do it,” Barho said.
“We do not know which vaccine we will be getting, either Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), because they don’t tell you which until you get it, but if we do get the Moderna vaccine, we will automatically give people a date for their second vaccination.”
Barho praised the partnership with the city and the hospital, noting the city purchased the software necessary to register individuals for the clinic and provided the location for the clinic as well as the staff to help run the clinic. Ascension Seton Highland Lakes, as a registered provider, actually receives the vaccines from the state and helps fulfill reporting requirements back to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Ingram said the city has a simple, easy-to-use website set up to register individuals for the next COVID-19 vaccination clinic, scheduled for Friday, March 19, at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St.
To register, go online to cityofburnet.com/covid-vaccination-clinic. People must sign up at least 24 hours in advance of the clinic in order to receive an appointment.
“The website is simple and clickable and just went live 10 minutes ago,” Ingram said. “With a couple of clicks, it will give you a time and date for your appointment. If you are not able to use the website, you can call 512-756-2662 and the captain on duty will assist you with getting registered.”
On the day of the clinic, participants should arrive no more than 15 minutes early. Golf carts will be available to shuttle those in need of assistance getting from the surrounding parking lots to the center. After the vaccine has been administered, individuals will be asked to sit and wait 15 to 30 minutes for observation to make sure there are no adverse reactions.
Barho credited Burnet County Judge James Oakley for pressing the state to bring more vaccines to the county due to the need. The county has a waitlist with thousands of names on it of individuals who have been unable to receive a vaccine yet.
“After my conversation with the state last week, I think they are tired of hearing from me,” Oakley said.
“I am pleased that the state is going to let Burnet County do what Burnet County needs to do to help our residents,” Oakley added. “This has nothing to do with the vaccine hub that is already in place at Baylor Scott & White in Marble Falls and serves a four-county area. This helps disseminate more vaccines in the community and we hope to see even more doses coming to Burnet County. This week alone, Burnet County is receiving 3,200 doses triple the number we had last week.
“This is not meant to be a one-time deal either. We are hoping to be able to provide vaccines every week to people who want them.”
