Coronavirus News

7 Houston-area hospitals receive first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine Baylor College of Medicine

Front-line and health care workers will get the vaccine first.

Photo courtesy of BCM

Four sites in Texas received the COVID-19 vaccine on December 14, part of a rollout of doses being shipped out across the U.S.

Texas received 19,500 doses, with another 250,000 doses being distributed to 109 facilities in Texas this week.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the first four sites to get it were:

MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Wellness 360 at UT Health San Antonio
UT Health Austin's Dell Medical School

Another 75,000 doses will be delivered on December 15 to 19 sites in Texas:

Houston, Texas Children’s Hospital Main
Houston, LBJ Hospital
Houston, CHI St. Luke’s Health
Houston, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center
Houston, Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, Ben Taub General Hospital
Galveston, University of Texas Medical Branch Hospital
Amarillo, Texas Tech Univ. Health Science Center Amarillo
Corpus Christi, Christus Spohn Health System Shoreline
Dallas, Parkland Hospital
Dallas, UT Southwestern
Edinburg, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
Edinburg, UT Health RGV Edinburg
El Paso, University Medical Center El Paso
Fort Worth, Texas Health Resources Medical Support
Lubbock, Covenant Medical Center
San Angelo, Shannon Pharmacy
Temple, Baylor Scott and White Medical Center

Health care and front-line workers will receive the vaccine first. Officials are still working out the timeline but the general public is not expected to get the vaccine until spring 2021 at the earliest.

Dr. Paul Klotman, president of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said in a press conference that getting vaccinated is helpful to both individuals and their communities.

"The thing about everyone pitching in, do it for yourself because it will help protect you, but when you get the herd immunity it will help protect people who are unable medically to get the vaccine," Klotman said.

health

want to ride my bicycle

Houston's citywide bike ride goes west with 3 routes for 2026

Courtesy of Houston First Corporation

Tour de Houston will take riders from downtown through West Houston.

Once again, Houstonians have the opportunity to explore their city on a lengthy bike ride. The Tour de Houston returns Sunday, April 26, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced.

Presented by the Apache Corporation, an oil and gas company, the annual ride began in 2005 as a way to celebrate the beauty and diversity of Houston neighborhoods.

Similar to last year’s route, riders will begin and end at Discovery Green and the Avenida Plaza in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. With distances of 10, 20, and 45 miles, the ride is open to beginners, intermediates, and those training for te MS 150. Riders will travel west through downtown, Memorial Park, Tanglewood, Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, and Briar Forest — almost all the way to Highway 6 — before returning.

Along the route, cyclists will have the opportunity to take breaks at rest stops with music and entertainment, as well as medical support and on-site bike mechanics. Upon returning to downtown, riders can stay for a post-ride party at Discovery Green with food and drinks, music, and an expo with local bike shops and bike clubs.

“I’m grateful to Apache for their longstanding support of this event and our community. Tour de Houston is something that cyclists of all ages and abilities truly look forward to each year,” Mayor Whitmire said in a statement. “It’s a great way to experience our city from a new perspective while directly supporting our beautification and reforestation work through Re-Plant Houston. I encourage everyone to ride, volunteer, or support this year’s event.”

RePlant is a program through the Houston Parks and Recreation Department that increases the amount of canopy trees in the city. Since 2005, the event has raised more than $1.2 million for the RePLant project.

Registration is open now. Riders are encouraged to sign up before the price increases from $50 (kids 12 and under $35).

bicycle tour de houston parks recreation