HOUSTON — Texas will open coronavirus vaccinations to everyone beginning Monday, but doctors warn those who sign up could still spend several weeks on the waitlist.
The vaccine will be available to all adults, but you'll still need an appointment. And there is already quite the wait.
Houston Health Department, which has 80,000 people registered for appointments, has closed its waitlist. Meanwhile, Harris County Public Health recently reported 380,000 people are on its waitlist.
"So far we’ve seen a wait time on average of about a week to two weeks to being able to schedule an appointment," said Jennifer Kiger with Harris County Public Health.
"It’s great, but its complicated," said Dr. James McCarthy with Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Dr. McCarthy said there are still a lot of people in high-risk groups waiting for shots. Now waitlists are about to get longer.
"There’s a new directive around patients over 80 years old. We are heavily prioritizing them," Dr. McCarthy said.
That means how long you wait for an appointment depends on your risk factors and the waitlist. It's common to spend weeks waiting for a vaccination date, especially as people sign up for multiple lists and providers have know way of knowing that a person has already been vaccinated somewhere else.
But it's a very different story in Galveston County. Health officials with UTMB there say they've had trouble filling up vaccine appointments. They encourage anyone who wants a shot - from anywhere - to sign up for their waitlist.
"We have a total of 210,000 who have signed up for the waitlist. We have sent invitations to 195,000," said Dr. Philip Keiser with UTMB.
Dr. Keiser said they’re ready for Texas to expand eligibility, and they’re struggling to fill up appointments. He encourages anyone who wants a shot – from anywhere – to sign up in Galveston.
View the list of other local providers administering vaccines in Harris County.