Mayor of Plainview enthusiastic about Hale County Health Department’s first vaccination clinic

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - The Hale County Health Department has received its first allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine and registrations for Wednesday’s vaccination clinic in Plainview start on Tuesday. The Mayor of Plainview, Mayor Charles Starnes, is enthusiastic about the state picking the Hale County Health Department as a distribution center and hopes more frequent and bigger shipments lie in the future.

Those in the 1-A category and 1-B category are eligible to sign up to receive the Moderna vaccine. This includes healthcare and frontline workers and long-term care residents. 1-B citizens have the green light too and this category includes those over 65 years old or an individual with a comorbidity.

“We’ve been approved for about three or four weeks, and have been applying to get vaccinations to give to our citizens here in Plainview and Hale County. And finally, we have approval,” said the Mayor.

The Mayor said the shipment was delivered and it carried 400 doses- all of which will be administered. He hopes this clinic will be another way for those in Plainview and nearby rural counties to get the vaccine if they choose.

Mayor Starnes said he wishes TDEM will acknowledge their efforts and make them a hub so they can get more frequent and larger shipments.

“And if you do some of the numbers that we’re seeing, we’re about, oh, 60 to 70% of the people are getting the vaccination when they’re able to do so. You know, you’re looking at 20,000 people in Hale County and Plainview that would like to get vaccinated, and those from surrounding communities that don’t have a health department or don’t have health clinic. They need that service, too.”

The clinic will be held on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ollie Liner Center located at 2000 South Columbia Street.

To make an appointment, head to the city’s website or call the Hale County Health Department at 806-291-1201 .

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