13K COVID-19 vaccine appointments filled for the week in Houston

Thousands of COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Houston that opened on Sunday have now been filled.

The health department opened 13,070 new appointment slots for the week of March 22-27. About 6,000 slots remained open on Monday morning but all are now filled.

The appointments that opened this week are for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Bayou City Event Center or for first doses of Moderna vaccine at Delmar Stadium and The Parking Spot.

People currently eligible for vaccination under the Texas Department of State Health Services criteria include:

- Phase 1A: Front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities

- Phase 1B: Those 65 and older and people age 16 and older with chronic health conditions

- School and child care workers

- Phase 1C: Anyone 50 and older. 

Information on COVID-19 vaccines in Houston can be found at HoustonEmergency.org/covid19. The appointment portals close when the slots are full.

Appointments are only confirmed upon receipt of an email or text message and confirmation numbers will be verified on-site. People who show up without confirmed appointments will be turned away.

Appointment registration is also available by phone to people age 60 and older through the Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301. People with disabilities can call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 832-393-5500. Anyone else needing registration assistance can contact the COVID-19 call center at 832-393-4220.

The health department says they sent appointment invitations to the approximately 80,000 people on its vaccine waitlists with a response rate of approximately 35 percent. The waitlists are currently closed but appointment invitations will continue to go out to people on the lists. The department may reopen the waitlists in the future.

People can learn about new appointment opportunities through email, text message, voice call, or mobile app push notification by registering for the HoustonRecovers subscription of AlertHouston at AlertHouston.org.