By Annaleise Parsons | Staff Writer
Baylor has finished distribution of the first shipment of vaccines and has ordered more according to Dr. Sharon Stern, the medical director at Baylor Health Services.
“We got our first shipment over Christmas break … 300 first dose, 300 second dose, and [Baylor] finished giving them Wednesday. Most is to 1A and given to some 1B,” Stern said. “[DHS] opened up ordering capacity, so I have ordered 1500 Moderna and 1170 Pfizer.”
Ordering vaccine doses does not guarantee that Baylor will have them. Delivery is dependent on the Texas Department of Health Services to distribute them, as the vaccines are considered disaster-related.
“You can order a million but you won’t get it until the state health services decide you get it,” Stern said.
However, though they are out of doses of their own, Baylor has allowed the City of Waco and McLennan County to use McLane Stadium for a mass drive-thru vaccination site on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Kelly Craine, the communications lead for Waco’s Health District, said the drive-thru vaccination clinics are “averaging about 200 shots an hour.”
“Last week, we vaccinated over 5,000 people in three days,” Craine said.
The vaccine drive at McLane Stadium has prepared the university to host their own drive-thru vaccine clinic.
“We already have that process in place. If … Baylor Health services gets a huge dose amount, we would be able to set up a drive-thru vaccine site easily,” Stern said. “We already know how to do the lanes … and the flow.”
Those interested in receiving a Moderna vaccine dose from the City of Waco and McLennan County can sign up for a waitlist.
Phase 1A and Phase 1B are the only groups eligible for vaccines at this time. The state has not given a timeline for when other phases will be eligible. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recently accepted for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and vaccines are being distributed quicker and quicker.
For those unsure about the safety of the vaccine, the CDC has Moderna and Pfizer resources online with information about the ingredients in the vaccine, possible side effects and more.
Students, faculty and staff interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from Baylor Health Services can fill out the vaccine interest form, and they will be contacted if and when more doses come available.
