Local cases are low, but seemed to have plateaued. Fortunately, vaccines remain effective for months and the ones used in the US are effective against the South African variant. Here are some succinct summaries from Physician’s First Watch:
Pfizer-BioNTech efficacy at 6 months: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has 91.3% efficacy against symptomatic illness diagnosed from 1 week to 6 months after the second dose of vaccine, the companies reported on Thursday. In particular, there were 850 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the placebo group versus 77 in the vaccine group out of some 46,000 trial participants. The vaccine also showed 100% efficacy against CDC-defined severe disease (32 cases with placebo, none with the vaccine). Data from 12,000 vaccine recipients revealed no serious safety concerns. In South Africa in particular, where 800 participants were enrolled and the more transmissible B.1.351 variant is prevalent, the vaccine was 100% efficacious against symptomatic illness: Of the nine cases in the placebo group, six were found to be caused by the B.1.351 variant, suggesting that the vaccine is efficacious against this lineage.
The Moderna vaccine is also being studies against variants.
Moderna variant trial: A version of Moderna’s vaccine designed to protect against the B.1.351 variant has begun testing in a phase 1 trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The trial will enroll 210 volunteers, some of whom have previously received the original Moderna vaccine, and will test the candidate vaccine (known as mRNA-1273.351) alone or in various combinations with the original vaccine (see details of the regimens in the news release linked below). The trial’s aim is to assess the candidate vaccine’s safety, reactogenicity, and ability to induce an immune response.
How To Schedule A COVID-19 Vaccine In San Antonio If You’re At Least 16
from TPR news
All adults in Texas are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of health status or occupation. State officials are recommending that providers prioritize residents 80 and older.
About 12.3% of the state’s total population is fully vaccinated, but health experts estimate between 75-90% of Texans need to achieve immunity to reach full herd immunity.
As of late March, more than 461,000 Bexar County residents received their first dose and more than 263,000 were fully vaccinated — about 13% of the county’s total population.
Where To Find Appointments
The state has several tools for finding available vaccine appointments, including this map, a statewide vaccine scheduler,
https://getthevaccine.dshs.texas.gov/s/and this national vaccine finder.
This map shows quite a few pharmacies that have it. Most of my patients recently have logged onto the CVS website to find it.
The City of San Antonio updates this page with available slots at the Alamodome location, or you can call 311 to schedule an appointment.
There are a few ways Bexar County residents can sign up to be notified about available appointments. For appointments scheduled by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, text VACCINE or VACUNA to 55000. For appointments with University Health System, download the app and turn on push notifications.
The DSHS has launched a new website that will allow people to register for vaccinations through some public health care providers. Call 833-832-7067 for further help. Call center support is available 7 a.m.-7 p.m. every day, and translators are available to help callers.
Bexar County Vaccine Waiting List For Those 65 And Older
San Antonio City Council approved the creation of a countywide vaccine waiting list system on Wednesday.
The pilot program will only allow people age 65 and over to register. Vaccine providers will then contact those on the list when they have a vaccine available. District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval says its not a silver bullet, but would help alleviate the load when appointments are opened in mass
“Every resident who comes through this portal is one less person that is crashing a website somewhere else,” she said.
The system would use vaccine availability for appointments at the Alamodome, UT Health, University Health, and Wellmed. A vaccine recipient will need a Texas address to register for this database. The waiting list system still needs a formal agreement with the vendor who will create it and then 2-4 weeks of creation time.
