Tarrant County is urging people currently eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine to keep things orderly by pre-registering.
Tarrant County Public Health has set up a website for people to pre-register to get their vaccines.
"We're taking pre-registration so we can call out when the vaccine becomes available," TCPH Director Vinny Taneja told the Tarrant County Commissioners Court this morning.
After people pre-register, they will get a call, letting them know that it's their turn to get the shot.
"There's an automated call that goes out," says Taneja. "If people don't answer, there's a message on the answering machine or on a text message, and the option is given ... you can come this day at this time at this location."
Currently, the county is in the first phase of administering the Moderna vaccine, so Taneja says only those eligible in phase 1A and 1B should be pre-registering at this time.
Group 1A is first responders and front-line healthcare workers. "1B is 65 and older, or somebody that's 16 and older with underlying health conditions," notes Taneja.
Taneja is urging those not in those groups to practice a little patience.
"I urge general young, healthy people not to go to the website," Taneja says, "because you're going to end up just crashing the website, and you're not eligible at this point."
Taneja says soon, COVIV-19 vaccines will be everywhere.
"Pharmacies, doctor's offices, public health, hospitals -- we're all going to get inundated with doses," says Taneja. "And we're going to get it out at every corner, literally, because that's the plan."
And at that time, the general public can be vaccinated.
"Probably around late February (or) early March is what the expectation is that it will be widely available," Taneja says.
To pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
