The Texas Department of State Health Services will provide an update on COVID-19 vaccine allocation and distribution.

Vehicles arrive on the opening day of Memorial Hermann's drive-thru coronavirus vaccine clinic at NRG Park in Houston on Jan. 14, 2021. HOUSTON – Memorial Hermann officials said the additional 2,000 appointment slots they opened Friday for the hospital system’s vaccine clinic this weekend at NRG Park were filled in a little more than an hour. Previous story:Memorial Hermann Hospital started vaccinating thousands of people in the area’s first drive-thru mass vaccination clinic at NRG Park on Thursday. I haven’t seen my grandkids in a long time and I’m ready to go see them,” said Joslin. Memorial Hermann initially invited only people 65 and older who had relationships with the hospital, such as previous patients.

A panel of experts answers questions about the coronavirus vaccine during an Ask 2 Town Hall on Jan. 13, 2021. KPRC 2 is always working to get answers to your questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner of the Department of State Health Service and chair of the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, explained. Dr. James McCarthy, of Memorial Hermann, said you should not get the COVID-19 vaccine while you are actively infected with the virus. Follow the latest coronavirus vaccine headlines and submit your questions about the vaccine at Click2Houston.com/vaccine.

The pharmacy ran out of its initial allotment of 200 Moderna vaccine doses this week. Texas has largely left the vaccine rollout process in the hands of local providers like Tarrytown Pharmacy, one of more than 1,000 providers approved to vaccinate Texans. A Department of State Health Services official said there is some overlap between groups 1A and 1B (doctors and other health care workers over age 65, for example). Seemingly overnight, many Texas hospitals, health centers and pharmacies’ phone lines were clogged. Across the state, the vaccine providers quickly realized “first come, first served” was not working.

HOUSTON – Houston area hospitals and clinics that offer COVID-19 vaccinations are currently evaluating how to prioritize patients who qualify to receive a vaccine under Phase 1B of the state’s rollout. “Phase 1B can be interpreted differently by different people. Houston Methodist said Thursday certain patients will soon start getting notifications to schedule appointments for their coronavirus shot. Officials said they will soon start notifying patients via a text message in the following order:Patients who are 75 or older. On Wednesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said vaccine providers can begin administering the vaccine to people in Phase 1B.

HOUSTON – The Department of State Health Services has given entities the go-ahead to begin vaccinating people eligible for Phase 1B, after vaccinating as many willing members of Phase 1A. According to McCarthy, almost 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered at Memorial Hermann as part of Phase 1A. “1A was really first-line medical responder’s, not just the doctors in hospitals but their clinic staff and EMS providers,” McCarthy said. “What the state has said is we don’t have to wait until we have every 1A individual classified as long as we are still getting them vaccinated,” McCarthy said. McCarthy said Memorial Hermann could open up for Phase 1B as early as next week but said they are still working on how those eligible will be identified.

Memorial Hermann COVID ICU nurse, Robert Luckey, said he’s been caring for COVID-19 patients, even being their comfort while isolated from family and all while worrying about his own family at home since the beginning of the pandemic. Ben Taub, UTMB in Galveston, Texas children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, LBJ Hospital, CHI-St. Luke’s and Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. “This is the next step, the most important step to getting us back,” said Dr. James McCarthy, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System chief physician executive. “We’ll be using them much faster and we’ve got staff ready to go and lined up,” said, Dr. Anna Maria Macaluso Davidson, Memorial Hermann AVP of medical operations. Moderna’s vaccine doesn’t need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures, but it will require two doses.

HOUSTON – Two people who experienced possible allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine in the UK are recovering well, according to UK regulators. However, now there’s a warning for those who have a history of severe allergic reactions, such as those to food, medicine, vaccines or need to carry an epi-pen. “There are people who have had true allergic reactions to vaccines in the past. “Work out a strategy about when and how they can safely receive the vaccine,” McCarthy said. “It may mean they need to receive it in a more monitored environment.”Locally, researchers said they’ve witnessed zero allergic reactions to the vaccines in clinical trials.

According to the health experts, that means getting the first vaccine available to you. One viewer asked KPRC 2 to confirm whether the government is using the vaccine as a form of control, specifically for female sterilization. “This vaccine has undergone very rigorous testing, it has been tested on a minimum of 35,000 people so we know a great deal about its side effects,” Dr. Philip said. KPRC 2 Health Reporter Haley Hernandez will be tracking some key dates concerning the vaccine over the next few days and weeks. On Dec. 17th, the FDA meets to decide on an “emergency use authorization” for the Moderna vaccine.