FINAL
FINAL DAYS IN OFFICE. EVENING TO YOU, LET'S DIVE IN
STARTING WITH A NEW BENCHMARK,
TEXAS IS NOW THE FIRST STATE TO
ADMINISTER 1 MILLION COVID-19
VACCINES THERE ARE STILL SO
MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
VACCINE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY
AMONG SENIORS, THEY OPEN LARGE
HUBS AND SITES THERE ARE THREE
FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSTON REGION,
METHODIST HOSPITAL IS ONE OF
THEM, TODAY IT HAS NO MORE
APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE BECAUSE
THE HOSPITAL SAYS IT RECEIVED
20,000 APPLICATIONS IN A MATTER
OF 12 HOURS THE ONLY WAY TO
APPLY IS ONLINE, THE HARD TRUTH
FOR ELDERLY TEXANS WHO ARE NOT
TECH-SAVVY.
TECH-SAVVY. >> A 95-YEAR-OLD WORLD WAR II
VETERAN IS UNABLE TO GET A
COVID-19 VACCINE, HIS DAUGHTER
HASN'T HEARD FROM THE VA AND
CAN'T REACH HIS DOCTORS AT
MEMORIAL HERMAN, ON FACEBOOK
SHE WRITES, NO LUCK ANYWHERE,
THAT IS WITH A COMPUTER . STAY
ALT HOME MOM SPENT THE LAST
THREE WEEKS WORKING TO GET HER
MOM VACCINATED.
MOM VACCINATED. >> IF SOMETHING OPENS UP, IT
GETS FILLED UP VERY FAST.
SHE RUSHED ON TO THE STATE'S
VACCINATION HUB MONDAY.
>> I REGISTERED HER BUT THERE
WAS NO E-MAIL CONFIRMATION, THE
SCREEN JUST WENT BLANK, I
WASN'T SURE IF SHE WAS
REGISTERED OR NOT.
HER MOM WILL GET THE VACCINE
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY. >> ITS JUST BEEN DIFFICULT TO
GET THROUGH.
GET THROUGH. IF ONLY MARTIAL WAS JUST AS
LUCKY.
LUCKY.
LUCKY. >>
LUCKY. >> YOU GET ROUTED TO AN
AUTOMATED PHONE SERVICE.
THIS MORNING I WAS ON HOLD FOR
ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE I GAVE UP
THE AARP IS CONCERNED ABOUT
DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS IS
FIGHTING SO THAT OLDER PEOPLE
ARE PRIORITIZED TO RECEIVE
VACCINES.
VACCINES.
VACCINES. ACCORDING TO THE STATE'S COVID
VACCINATION PLAN, AN ESTIMATED
950,000 PEOPLE IN THE HOUSTON
AREA ARE 65 OR OLDER THE ONLY
WAYS YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A
COVID VACCINE IN TEXAS IS BY
CALLING YOUR PROVIDER OR
APPLYING ON LINE, IF YOU CAN
ACCESS A COMPUTER YOU'LL SEE
ALL THREE HOUSTON AREA HUBS
HAVE NO MORE APPOINTMENTS
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. >> PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
FRUSTRATED THAT IT IS EITHER
NOT AVAILABLE, THE LINES ARE
BUSY, I WOULD CERTAINLY TELL
YOU JUST KEEP CALLING.
AT LEAST ONE SOUTH TEXAS COUNTY
IS OFFERING VACCINES FIRST
COME, FIRST SERVE, REMOVING
THAT TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER, BUT
FORCING SOME ELDERLY TEXANS TO
WAIT IN THE CAR FOR HOURS ONLY
TO BE TURNED AWAY, GETTING SOME
TEXANS VACCINATED IS BASICALLY
A SHOT IN THE DARK.
KHOU, 11 NEWS.
>>> SO OVERWHELMING FOR THEM.
>>> THIS MINUTE MAID PARK WILL
SERVE AS A COVID-19 VACCINATION
MEGA-SITE THIS SATURDAY, IT
WILL BE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY,
THE MAYOR SAID THE HOUSTON
HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS CONTACTING
PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPOINTMENTS TO
INFORM THEM OF THE NEW
LOCATION, ALSO SAYS THE CITY
HOPES TO OPEN NEW APPOINTMENT
SLOTS FOR SATURDAY, WOULD BE
POSTING THAT INFORMATION SOON,
TODAY MEMORIAL HERMAN BEGAN ITS
DRIVE THROUGH VACCINATION
CLINIC AT NRG PARK, IT'S OPEN
ONLY TO PEOPLE 65 AND UP WHO
HAVE APPOINTMENTS.
HAVE APPOINTMENTS. >>> NOW TO ANOTHER VULNERABLE
GROUP, PREGNANT WOMEN, HOUSTON
COUNCIL WOMEN IS 8 MONTHS
PREGNANT, SHE SAYS SHE'LL HAVE
TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK,
DOCTORS TOLD HER PREGNANT WOMEN
WHO GET OTHER VACCINES WILL
HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS TO GET
THEIR COVID VACCINE, SHE SAYS
THAT WHILE HER PREGNANCY MAKES
HER NERVOUS, SHE IS GETTING THE
VACCINE TO PROTECT HERSELF AND
HER FUTURE CHILD.
>> IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR
BREAST-FEEDING, PLEASE REACH
OUT TO YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER, ASK THE QUESTIONS
THAT YOU NEED TO FEEL
COMFORTABLE AND SAFE ABOUT THIS
VACCINE, ITS TRULY A BLESSING
THAT WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO BE INCLUDED TO PROTECT
OURSELVES AND OUR FUTURE
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >>> ALSO REMINDS EVERYONE TO
CONTINUE WEARING THEIR MASKS
AND SOCIAL DISTANCING EVEN
AFTER THEY GET THE VACCINE.
>>> HERE IS WHAT EXPECTING
MOTHERS NEED TO KNOW, DOCTORS
SAY GETTING IT IS THE BEST WAY
TO PREVENT CONTRACTING COVID-19
DURING YOUR PREGNANCY.
DOCTORS ALSO SAY THE VACCINE
PROVE TO BE EFFECTIVE DURING
STUDIES THAT INADVERTENTLY
INCLUDED SOME WOMEN WHO DIDN'T
KNOW THEY WERE PREGNANT, THEN
ENROLLED IN TRIALS.
EXPERTS SAY IF YOU ARE
EXPECTING AND CONSIDERING
GETTING THE VACCINE, YOU SHOULD
DISCUSS INDIVIDUAL RISK AND
BENEFITS WITH YOUR DOCTOR.
>>> JOHNSON & JOHNSON'S COVID
VACCINE IS SHOWING PROMISE.
A STUDY AND THE NEW ENGLAND
JOURNAL OF MEDICINE FOUND IT
SHOWS DURABLE IMMUNE RESPONSE
WITH MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS, ONLY
ONE DOSE IS NEEDED TO PROVIDE
ENOUGH PROTECTION FROM COVID-
19, THAT IS UNLIKE THE PFIZER
AND MODERNA VACCINES CURRENTLY
BEING GIVEN.
BEING GIVEN. JOHNSON & JOHNSON IS EXPECTED
TO APPLY FOR EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION FROM THE FDA
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
>>> THE FIRST DOSE OF THE COVID-
19 VACCINE IS TAKING A KINGWOOD
WOMAN BACK TO HER CHILDHOOD,
SHE CONTRACTED POLIO IN THE
1950'S, TWO YEARS LATER THE
VACCINE WAS CREATED NOW DURING
THIS PANDEMIC, DOCTORS WANT TO
MAKE SURE SHE AND OTHER POLIO
PATIENTS ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND.
>>> IMAGES OF PEOPLE GETTING
THE COVID-19 VACCINE BRINGS
BACK MEMORIES TO MANY POLIO
SURVIVORS, ONE OF THOSE IS
RHONDA YOUNG.
RHONDA YOUNG. >> ALWAYS SAID I WAS ABOUT 22
MONTHS OLD.
MONTHS OLD. SAYS SHE CONTRACTED POLIO IN
1953, IN 1955, THE DOCTOR
DEVELOPED THE FIRST VACCINE
AGAINST POLIO.
AGAINST POLIO. A LITTLE TOO LATE, BUT SAYS SHE
WAS FORTUNATE POLIO ONLY
AFFECTED THE MUSCLES IN HER
LEGS.
LEGS.
LEGS. POLIO IS A DISABLING AND LIFE
THREATENING DISEASE CAUSED BY
THE POLIO VIRUS, IT SPREADS
FROM PERSON TO PERSON, CAN
INFECT A PERSON'S SPINAL CORD
AND CAUSE PARALYSIS.
>> MANY OF THEM HAVE DEVELOPED
CHRONIC CONDITIONS, CHRONIC
MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS
DIFFICULT RESPIRATORY OR
BREATHING PROBLEMS AMONG
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> IN THE 1950'S A HOUSTON
DOCTOR ESTABLISHED ONE OF THE
FIRST POLIO TREATMENT CENTERS
HERE IN HOUSTON LATER THAT
CENTER WOULD REHAB OTHER
INJURED PATIENTS AND TURN IT TO
TIER MEMORIAL HERMAN, NOW TIER
MEMORIAL HERMAN WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THEIR POLIO PATIENTS
DIDN'T MISS THIS COVID-19
VACCINE.
VACCINE.
VACCINE. >> WE ARE SO FORTUNATE NOW WE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNTY TO GIVE
THEM SOMETHING, THE VACCINE
THAT THEY MISSED BACK IN THE
1950'S.
1950'S.
1950'S. FOR RHONDA YOUNG GETTING THIS
VACCINE MEANT EVERYTHING TO
HER.
HER.
HER. THE
HER. THE VACCINE BEEN OUT WHEN I WAS
YOUNG, I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD
POLIO BUT IT WASN'T, IT TOOK SO
LONG, SO MANY PEOPLE DID HIDE
FROM THAT, HAVE REALLY MORE
LASTING EFFECTS THAN I DID.
NOW SHE SAYS SHE IS HAPPY TO BE
THE FIRST PEOPLE TO GET THE
COVID-19 VACCINE.
COVID-19 VACCINE. A SIGH OF RELIEF FOR THIS
SURVIVOR.
SURVIVOR.
SURVIVOR. >> NOW WITH THIS DEVELOPING SO
QUICKLY, NOT HAD COVID I'M
LIKELY TO GET IT NOW AND BE
AHEAD OF THIS ONE.
KHOU 11 NEWS.
>>> WE HAVE LINED UP AN
EXTENSIVE LIST OF RESOURCES TO
HELP YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT TESTING VACCINATION AND