HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner received the coronavirus vaccine Monday as he makes plans to ramp up immunization clinics across the city.
After announcing increasing case numbers, hospitalizations and positivity rate, Turner rolled up his right sleeve and received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. He said he took it publicly in order to build trust in the shot and encourage people, especially people of color, to get the vaccine when they are eligible.
Turner said about 2,000 people received the shot at the city’s first vaccine clinic that was opened over the weekend. He said that he plans to open a mega-site Saturday to speed up the vaccination process.
The mayor said all vaccination appointments at the city’s clinic are full for the rest of the month, but he expects that to change as more doses of the vaccine arrive in Houston. He said people can also contact their health care provider to arrange to receive the shot if they have the vaccine available.
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A total of 122,331 cases of the coronavirus and 1,570 deaths attributed to the virus have been reported in Houston as of Monday.
The city’s 14-day positivity rate was 13.9% as of Monday.