CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — With the expanded age limit of the Pfizer vaccine the Corpus Christi – Nueces County Public Health District anticipates a large crowd at the La Palmera Mall vaccine site (former Charming Charlie store). Due to the expected demand, the Health District will open a second location at the Greenwood Senior Center located on 4040 Greenwood Drive.
The Greenwood Senior Center will be a walk-thru clinic and opens Thursday, May 13 through Friday, May 14 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, May 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Also, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and CHRISTUS Spohn have partnered to bring vaccines to the Garcia Arts & Education Center, 2021 Agnes St., on five different days.
Permanent Vaccine Spots
The City-County Health District now has permanent spots set-up to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Members of the community can get their vaccine at La Palmera Mall every day of the week during mall hours. The clinic is located in the old Charming Charlie's store.
To pre-register by phone, call 361-561-1101. To pre-register online, visit www.cctexas.com/vaccineregistration and click on the “Vaccination Registration” link. During online pre-registration you must receive a Quick Response (QR) code. Once the online pre-registration limit is reached, you will not be able to register until additional vaccines become available.
Notification of appointment date and time will be messaged to clients by text or landline scheduled for individuals pre-registered.
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Surpasses 100,000 Mark for COVID-19 Vaccine Administrations
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System achieved a major milestone in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines given throughout the Coastal Bend.
It was December 2020 when CHRISTUS Spohn received its first shipment of vaccines from the State of Texas and immediately began administering to front line health care workers. Since then, we have answered the call to serve as vaccine hubs in the Alice, Beeville and Kingsville communities. Local government, law enforcement and community agencies in Bee, Jim Wells and Kleberg all contributed to successful vaccination events, while also supporting our Associates. CHRISTUS Spohn also continued its strong partnership with the City of Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District, providing personnel and support during vaccine clinics at various locations stretching from the west side of Corpus Christi to Port Aransas.
“There is no way that we could achieve this milestone without the tireless and selfless work of our Associates. Many of them have worked extended hours and even weekends to ensure that all people who were eligible and willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine got that shot of hope,” said Dr. Osbert Blow, President and Chief Medical Officer, CHRISTUS Spohn Health System. “With more people now able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, CHRISTUS Spohn remains committed to providing this vital service to our communities.”
Vaccine administration at our community hubs continue next week, with events scheduled in Bee, Jim Wells and Kleberg counties. More information is available at https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/south-texas.
Save Our Seniors
The Corpus Christi Fire Department has changed its Save Our Seniors (SOS) hotline to a new number, 361-826-3900.
This hotline will be open during Monday through Friday business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The previous hotline number is no longer available.
In addition to homebound seniors, the SOS hotline also is open to individuals with transportation issues that prevent them from getting to vaccination clinics.
Save Our Seniors (SOS) Homebound Program is a City of Corpus Christi program spearheaded by Mayor Guajardo and the City Council to bring coronavirus vaccines to the doorsteps of some of our most vulnerable populations, our senior citizens and people with disabilities. Through this program our Corpus Christi Fire Department, firefighters can inoculate residents who are homebound.
Amistad Community Health Center
You can pre-register for the vaccine clinics by visiting amistadchc.com and clicking on the vaccine link.
24 hour pre-registration
According to Mayor Paulette Guajardo, the city's online pre-registration will now be open 24 hours a day. Instead of closing when they've reached a certain limit, they'll take those people and put them on a list for a future vaccination clinic.
"During your online pre-registration, just remember you must receive a QR code," Guajardo said. "So be sure to complete all the online registration steps in order to assure you receive the code, notification of appointment, date and time will be messages to client via text or landline when a future vaccination clinic has been scheduled."
The hotline number is 361-561-1101.
Bee County
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Beeville has designated several phone lines to secure appointments, in addition to an online scheduling option:
- 361-354-2978
- 361-354-2841
- 361-354-2861
- 361-534-9333
Kleberg County
Kleberg County has opened an appointment only COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Kingsville at 1724 Brahma Blvd, Suite 106. Register here.
Kleberg County will officially kick-off their Community Outreach COVID-19 Vaccine Mobile Unit Team. The County will be reaching out to all local businesses and organizations to schedule vaccine drives for their employees, families, customers and the surrounding area.
For more information and to schedule a vaccine drive, call the County Judge’s Office at 361-595-8585 or Ben Gonzalez at 361-595-8577.
Private Providers, Hospitals and Drug Stores
CVS Pharmacy is now accepting walk-ins for COVID-19 vaccines.
Christus Spohn Hospital in Beeville is taking calls to register for the COVID-19 Vaccine. Click the link below for more information.
You don't have to wait until the county health department receives vaccines. The State has an interactive map where you can find a vaccine provider near you. It is updated daily.
Vaccine Side Effects
Common vaccine side effects include pain at the injection site, swelling, fever, chills, tiredness, and headache, according to the CDC.
The CDC has a website that explains the common side effects, information on the second dose, and more helpful tips.
What's Next?
After your first dose, you will need a second dose of the same vaccine you received the first time, i.e. Pfizer or Moderna. The place where you receive the vaccine should give you a card that will show a date you need to return for the booster shot.
How protected will I be?
This depends on which company's vaccine you get, but both the Pfizer and Moderna shots have shown over 90% efficacy.
The CDC grades the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine as 95% effective with both doses. Moderna's vaccine comes in with a 94% efficacy rate.
A person who gets the shot will get the full protection benefits within a few weeks, the CDC said.
How can we reach herd immunity?
According to the CDC, 'herd immunity' is defined as "a situation in which a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through a vaccine and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely."
Medical expert, Dr. Salim Surani said there are two ways a community can achieve this:
"Number one: either you have a person who is infected and has developed antibody or you have a vaccination, and that person has antibody," said Dr. Surani.
RELATED: COVID-19 Task Force predicts how long it'll take to reach herd immunity in the Coastal Bend
He said with recovered COVID-19 patients and vaccinated residents combined, 'herd immunity' is still way down the road.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- COVID-19 vaccine in the Coastal Bend: Everything you need to know
- LIST: Where water boil notices have been lifted in the Coastal Bend
- H-E-B limiting purchases of certain products to help restore supply after winter storm
- 'Assembly Required': Corpus Christi native stars next to Tim Allen and Richard Karn in new History Channel show