BRENHAM, TX — In an effort to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine faster in rural areas, Washington County Expo Center and Fairgrounds vaccinated over 500 individuals Tuesday, serving as a rural vaccination subHUB.
A SubHUB, is a medical pop-up, intended to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine faster in rural areas; these locations, come advised under Governor Greg Abbott's most recent State strategy to tackle the novel virus.
“What you see behind me is that in action. You see 26 different agencies, Baylor Scott & White, Washington County EMS, tagged team together, to pull off a small, but busy, rural county vaccination clinic for about 2000 people,” Kevin Deramus, Washington County EMS Director.
Being able to create the drive-thru vaccination subHub in just five days is an art of logistical planning, considering having to take traffic flow, and even weather into account.
“The biggest piece is traffic control, and flow, and then having the geographic spot to do it, so the fairgrounds made that pretty easy. Inclement weather we had to plan for, so everything, where people are actually doing work, is under the canopy, everything else, you’re in a vehicle, so with a drive-thru clinic, it kind of already planned for the inclement weather,” says Deramus.
Baylor Scott & White played a vital role in said efforts, providing 12 clinical staffers to administer the vaccine.
“Baylor Scott and White wants to vaccinate as many arms that will accept it. If you walk through our hospitals today, you would see a lot of COVID patients, and we need to do all we can, social distancing, masks, but now, the vaccine, to flatten that curve, so we can get back to a little bit of what we call normal,” says Jason Jennings, Baylor Scott & White's Regional President.
With over 7,000 individuals calling to register for an appointment within 60 seconds Monday, and 600,000 in two hours, the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine is high, especially, in rural Texas.
“We only have 2,000 vaccines for this hub, so the first 2,000 people who were on the call list got a callback, and put in a queue. So, I think the people who have made it through the process, love it. The people who got on the phone call and didn’t get into the process, are wondering why,” says Deramus.
Right now, Washington County is waiting to hear from the State on when they will be distributing additional vaccines.
Baylor Scott and White says, they will continue helping in the vaccination efforts throughout the Brazos Valley.
“If the State will bring more vaccine, I know this gentleman, will make sure it gets done, and Baylor Scott and White will have people here to administer the vaccine,” says Jennings.
The Washington County vaccine subHub is set to run until Thursday, totaling 2,000 vaccinations.