Austin Remains in Phase 1A of Vaccine Distribution

Published December 22, 2020

Operational Updates

• The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine received an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, Dec. 18.
• The Pfizer vaccine received an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA on Friday, Dec. 11.
• The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) received 224,250 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during Week 1 allocation, with 13,650 doses slated for the Austin area.
• This week, Texas DSHS expects to receive 620,400 doses of vaccine distributed to more than 1,100 providers across the State of Texas. Of these doses, the Austin area is slated to receive 20,725 vaccine doses.
• In the Week 2 vaccine allocation, Austin Public Health (APH) is expecting to receive 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which will go toward those who will be vaccinating others, long-term care facilities that did not enroll in the federal program, and those who work at City of Austin operated COVID-19 testing sites.
• The Austin Public Safety Wellness Center is expecting to receive 1,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine for Austin and Travis County EMTs and Paramedics.
• Initial doses of vaccine in Phase 1A are being allocated for frontline healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents, based on the COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Guiding Principles from Texas DSHS.
• Texas DSHS has also released information on the Phase 1B Vaccine Priorities.
• There are nearly 300 pharmacies, doctors’ offices, hospital groups, and other providers signed up to provide COVID-19 vaccines in Austin-Travis County.
• APH will not serve as the primary vaccine provider for Austin-Travis County residents, rather, APH will serve as an informational hub and safety net for those without insurance.
• Individuals curious about where they can receive their vaccine should check with their primary care provider to see if they plan to be a vaccine provider. Each provider will likely have their own sign-up system, though they have all been trained on providing the vaccine and the allocation order by Texas DSHS.

Safety & Precautions

• Even with limited vaccines available in our community, people need to continue to take additional COVID-19 prevention measures including: wearing a mask, social distancing, washing your hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and staying home if you’re sick.
• It is not yet clear from the vaccine trials whether individuals who receive the vaccine can still transmit COVID-19 to others. It is therefore very important that even those vaccinated take the same precautions as before to ensure that they do not inadvertently spread the virus as a carrier.
• The FDA released fact sheets on the Pfizer vaccine and Moderna vaccine for recipients and caregivers that includes information on vaccine ingredients and side effects.
• While the COVID-19 vaccine may cause side effects such as fatigue, headache, fever, chills, nausea, muscle pain, and joint pain, these side effects show that the vaccine is working.
• The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to make sure even very rare side effects are identified. V-SAFE is a new smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker for people who receive COVID-19 vaccines.

For additional COVID-19 vaccine information, visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19-Vaccines.