(Seguin) — “There are just not enough vaccines to go around.” Those are the words of Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher who is providing yet another update and reminder to all those who are looking for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Everything that we’ve been talking about just like the public has been hearing, there’s not enough vaccine to go around. We’ve got right around two million vaccines distributed in the state of Texas for 30 million Texans. If they were distributing 200,000 to 250,000 vaccines per week, it would take over 70 weeks to vaccinate the entire state of Texas, so we’ve got some supply deficiencies to say the least but what we’ve focused on working with our partners in the city of Schertz, Cibolo, Selma, Seguin, New Braunfels and the smaller cities is basically identifying and solidifying those mass vaccination sites within multiple major cities but also with our partners working with volunteer groups. Everything is on paper and is planned out to basically open up these massive distribution sites once we get these vaccines,” said Kutscher.
County Commissioner Drew Engelke says the lack of vaccine in the county is not the fault of Guadalupe or any other county that finds itself in the same position.
“For vaccines, I get a lot of calls, of course too. We are basically in a waiting game. Just like the general public, the county is waiting on the state to allocate to the county so we are doing what we can to get the allocations but we are just in a holding pattern as far as distribution. As long as the public understands that because they are like ‘Where is it? Where is it? Why are they getting it and we are not?’ It’s not up to Guadalupe County. It’s the state,” said Engelke.
Patrick Pinder, the Guadalupe County emergency management officer, says it’s important to explain how these vaccines are being allocated to the various counties. He says seeing all the vaccines being administered in Bexar County has created plenty of confusion.
“If you look at the state’s website, there’s two different categories. There’s medical care providers and there’s hubs. San Antonio is a hub. That is why San Antonio is getting the vaccines and you are seeing the allocations of 9,000 of this and 9,000 of that. They are a hub. That’s what the state set them up as. We are not a hub. Schertz EMS, any doctor’s office here or the hospital is only a medical care provider. Until, we can hit that hub list which I don’t see us hitting anytime soon, we won’t’ be put into priority. Some counties in the state haven’t received any vaccine so none. We’ve been on several calls with judges, mayors, they are like the county next to us is getting all of these vaccines, we haven’t even received one dose so that’s one of the things that like HEB’s and things like that are working with those folks to try to even get their 1As taken care of,” said Pinder.
According to Pinder, a hub is defined as an area for a large distribution. So far, most areas for hubs in the state have been large cities.
He says although Guadalupe County is not yet considered a hub, the right paperwork has already been submitted to the state for consideration. Pinder says the county, its various cities as well as Guadalupe Regional Medical Center have all worked early on to lay out their plans for when a mass vaccination opportunity does arrive in the county.
He also reminds residents that there is not a waiting list for the vaccine.
In the meantime, officials remind residents that any available doses will still be distributed following the Phase1 A and 1 B eligibility requirements. Phase 1 A population includes frontline healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities. Phase 1 B includes people 65 of age and older or people 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at an increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19.