Registration for COVID-19 vaccine waitlists is ongoing in the Highland Lakes as doses have been extremely limited in both Burnet and Llano counties.
Currently, only people in the state of Texas vaccination plan’s Phase 1A and Phase 1B categories are eligible to pre-register. These include healthcare workers, long-term care facility staff and residents, ages 65 and older, and ages 16 and older with serious medical conditions.
The state distributes COVID-19 vaccines to providers, not to local or county governments. Officials ask that people register via a vaccine providers’ website.
IN LLANO COUNTY
As of Thursday, Jan. 21, the Texas Department of State Health Services has one Llano County provider, Hill Country Direct Care. So far, the location has only received 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which have already been administered. Eligible people can pre-register online for when more doses are available.
IN BURNET COUNTY
Burnet County, vaccine providers are:
- Atkins Pharmacy in Marble Falls
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Marble Falls
- Ascension Seton Highland Lakes in Burnet
- H-E-B pharmacies in Marble Falls and Burnet
Providers are not taking walk-ins, even if vaccines are on hand.
As vaccine doses become available and waitlist spots open, providers will contact registered eligible people to schedule appointments. How soon this happens, and how often, depends on vaccine availability.
VACCINATION HUBS
Starting the week of Jan. 11, state officials began designating providers that can distribute thousands of doses in a short period of time. These hubs have received and will continue to receive large numbers of doses for distribution.
Currently, the closest hubs to the Highland Lakes are:
- Family Emergency Rooms in Cedar Park
- Austin Public Health
- UT Health Dell Medical School in Austin
- Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg
A complete list of hubs can be found on the DSHS website.
When the state of Texas receives vaccines from the federal government, it distributes them under the Texas Vaccination Plan following allocation guidelines.
People who do not have access to the internet or email can use computers at their local libraries or seek assistance from family or friends.