Vaccine options for Southeast Texans

Southeast Texans have a host of options when it comes to vaccination sites, with more than half a dozen cities offering shots throughout the region. 

Resident can sign up to receive their free shots at vaccine.beaumonttexas.gov or by calling (409) 550-2536, with vaccination site options including Beaumont, Jasper, Kountze, Lumberton, Orange, Silsbee and Winnie. The website asks prospective patients if they fall under one of the following categories: healthcare worker, educator or first responder; resident of a long-term care facility; over the age of 50; or over the age of 16 with a chronic medical condition. The site also includes a “none of the above” option. Choosing this option still allows residents to sign up for an appointment.

Texas continues to receive doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, and is distributing statewide to hospitals, pharmacies, local health departments, freestanding ERs, and other clinics. The Southeast Texas hub receives weekly shipments of 11,000 doses, while area pharmacies take in hundreds weekly.

According to death certificate data collected over the course of the pandemic, 93% of Texas fatalities directly caused by COVID-19 are in people 50 years old and older. All people at least age 65, which account for 73% of COVID-19 deaths, are currently eligible for vaccination in Texas. Expanding vaccination to those who are at least 50 years old will protect the next most vulnerable group and advance the state’s dual priorities of reducing the burden of disease on people at the greatest risk of hospitalization and death and protecting the health care system.

“Texas will continue to strive to ensure that vaccine doses reach communities with health disparities and people whose work puts them at a greater risk of exposure, in accordance with the Texas Vaccine Allocation Guiding Principles,” reports the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Southeast Texas residents can find COVID-19 test sites in numerous locations throughout the region. A simple smartphone map search revealed more than 20 test sites within 10 miles of downtown Beaumont. Most urgent care facilities in the area offer free testing, and pop-up sites have appeared on Dowlen Road and other major Beaumont thoroughfares. CVS pharmacies also provide free COVID-19 testing.