Chambers County Public Health Administers 340 Vaccines at Point of Distribution Drive Through Site
CHAMBERS COUNTY, TEXAS – On January 23, 2021, Chambers County Public Health facilitated the administration of 340 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine after their designation as a COVID19 Vaccine Hub by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
This was the first major distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to the Phase 1B population in Chambers County, and was only the first in a series of planned vaccination sites. Facilitated by Chambers County Public Health, this event was a collaborative effort between multiple agencies including Chambers County, the City of Mont Belvieu and Winnie-Stowell EMS.
“We have been working to thoroughly vaccinate Phase 1A populations in Chambers County up until this point,” said Chambers County Health Services Director Mary Beth Bess. “With this event, we took a huge step toward expanding vaccination efforts to Phase 1B.”
A small number of vaccines was allocated to this vaccination site, with others set aside for planned distribution sites in the coming weeks as part of CCPH’s designation as a vaccine hub. Pre-registration for this site was required and utilized to facilitate registration in the State’s Immunization Registrty (ImmTrac2). There was a limited number of vaccines available for this site, and spots filled quickly.
“We required pre-registration in order to be vaccinated,” said Samantha Humphrey, Chambers County Public Information Officer whose office coordinated the pre-registration information and helpline, “and pre-registration filled up in just over 7 minutes.”
People want the vaccine, and they’re willing to travel to get it.
“We were receiving about 100 phone calls per day from people all over the world,” continued Humphrey. “We even had someone call from Mexico City, Mexico.”
Because the vaccines were provided by the federal government via the state as part of the CCPH’s designation as a vaccine hub, anyone was eligible to preregister and attend this vaccination event.
“The event was a huge success and I’m proud of what our team was able to accomplish,” said Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia. “Right, and we are also abundantly grateful to the City of Mont Belvieu and Winnie-Stowell EMS for their help,” added Bess. “It’s partnerships like these that allow us to pull together and offer these services to our community.”
Additional vaccine administration sites are planned for the near future. Information regarding preregistration for these sites will be released via media, social media and Chambers Warns when available.