Nueces County COVID-19 vaccine registration to open Sunday, Jan. 10

Online pre-registration for Nueces County’s mass COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru site will open at 5 p.m. Sunday, County Judge Barbara Canales said Friday.

Corpus Christi and Nueces County officials announced late Thursday the state will ship 4,000 Moderna vaccine doses to the county on Monday.

The goal will be to administer hundreds of doses per day at a drive-thru site at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds, 1213 Terry Shamsie Boulevard in Robstown, Texas. The first round is planned to begin around noon Monday, depending on the arrival time of the vaccine.

More:Thousands more COVID-19 vaccines coming to Nueces County

The county's supply is part of the state's effort to distribute 200,000 doses next week, mostly to providers that can serve as large “vaccination hubs.”

Those who will be vaccinated at the fairgrounds will include two groups each day - those who pre-registered online and those who register on site. 

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COVID-19 VACCINE

There's two options to register.

Starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10 residents can pre-register online at www.cctexas.com/coronavirus and click the button for “Vaccination Registration.” You must receive a Quick Response (QR) code to be pre-registered. There will be 250 vaccines available and the slots will go quickly.

Once the pre-registration limit is reached, you won't be able to register until 5 p.m. the next day when more vaccines are available.

There will be three more chances this week to grab a slot. Online pre-registration will open at 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, Tuesday, Jan. 12, and Wednesday, Jan. 13.

You can also register on site where vaccinations will be available daily to eligible individuals on a first come basis.

In both groups, people eligible for the vaccine will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The drive thru clinic will close each day after all the vaccines have been administered. The clinic will reopen the following day at 8 a.m. through Thursday, Jan. 14 until all 4,000 vaccines are used.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

The vaccines will be available to residents of Nueces County and areas in a 75-mile radius, per Texas Department of State Health Services protocol, Canales said.

Currently, those who qualify for vaccination are in the Phase 1A and Phase 1B categories.

COVID-19 vaccine questions answered: A guide to getting the shots in Nueces County

WHO IS PHASE 1A AND PHASE 1B?

Phase 1A includes nursing home residents and front-line health care workers. Phase 1B includes people who are age 65 and older, and those who are 16 and older who have chronic health conditions that put them at higher risk for disease.

However, because the Moderna vaccine is authorized for people 18 and older, the county will not give doses to people younger than 18, public health director Annette Rodriguez said.

Because vaccinations may start around noon on Monday, officials may administer only 500 doses that day, Canales said.

She said the hope is that by using up all doses in a matter of days, “that paves the way for another 4,000 the following week” — though more large shipments are not guaranteed.

WHAT IF I CAN'T REGISTER?

There will be more opportunities to register since Nueces County is expected to receive more vaccines next week and every week after for months to come.

For more information, contact the Health District’s Coronavirus Hotline at 361-826-7200, option 2.

The county will soon announce more sites, such as senior centers and community centers, that will offer vaccines, Canales said. 

When the Corpus Christi Fire Department is allocated more vaccine doses, personnel will assist with giving doses to people in Phase 1B, Deputy Fire Chief Richie Quintero said. Officials will target those who receive senior services from the city.

Officials are also developing a mobile service to give vaccines to seniors who are homebound, Quintero said.

Also Friday, Nueces County unveiled a COVID-19 “community risk dashboard” on its website, nuecesco.com, that shows the county's COVID-19 risk level. Level 1 represents minimal risk, and Level 4 represents a high risk. The county is at Level 4 as of Friday.

Vicky Camarillo covers education, immigration and other issues in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe.