Lubbock Health Department opening vaccine clinic ‘mini-hub’

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - The Lubbock Health Department has opened a mini-hub clinic for all vaccine needs in the city.

This “one-stop shop” opened Wednesday at 2801 50th Street. The city says they will offer COVID-19, childhood and flu vaccines.

“We’ve set up this hub site to kind of give us a standing storefront for the next four months in order to provide those vaccines to the community,” Public Health Director Katherine Wells said.

The city is focusing its staffing on the storefront, with a couple pop-up clinics planned in the fall.

“This will just be one place, one additional place for people to come in, easily just fill out a form. There’s nurses waiting here to give the vaccines. So, hopefully it will be quick and efficient and be able to handle a high volume of individuals,” Wells said.

Wells expects more people will need their booster shots soon.

“Booster doses are approved for individuals that received Pfizer, and they should receive it at least six months after they completed their initial series of Pfizer vaccine,” Wells said.

Through the Texas vaccines for children program, families can cover all the bases.

“Individuals who are either uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid, they can come get their back to school vaccines. Those kids can get flu shots. That’s also available at this site,” Wells said.

Wells says some COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers are submitting data on studies they’ve done with children to the FDA, up for review in the next couple of weeks. If everything goes right, she says vaccines will be available for children 5 to 11 soon.

“Hopefully starting at the end of October, and then this site will be ready, established and able to give those vaccines,” Wells said.

They will be operating from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, as well as every first and third Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. When eligibility opens up for children or there’s more demand for booster doses with Moderna, the department will expand those hours.

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