SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, Texas — After what began as a relatively slow start to get an allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine to San Patricio County, officials there now say things are moving a lot faster.
"We didn't get our first vaccine here until February," said County Judge David Krebs who explained the reason behind the initial delay.
"Our [case] numbers were so low, 4.3 percent of the population of San Patricio County had tested positive for COVID-19. We weren’t getting vaccines for that simple reason, most of the counties around us, except for Aransas county, are all in double digits, and that’s where the vaccines were going. We pleaded with Austin and everybody."
Once the state was able to receive more vaccines, it helped pave the way to bring them to counties like San Patricio.
"So, we're getting plenty of the vaccines in right now, matter fact we've got a 700-dose vaccine that will be going to Aransas Pass on Tuesday,” said Krebs.
Krebs says the county received its first allocation in early February and since then have continued to get more. To the point he says: "right now, we don't even have to request them!"
According to San Patricio County officials, as of Monday of this week: 19% of county residents have received at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 10% of county residents are now fully vaccinated.
As of Thursday morning, the judge himself was part of the percentage of county residents now fully vaccinated.
While the county is continuing to receive more vaccine shipments, Krebs did say there is a certain request they are still working to get fulfilled.
"We requested 500 doses of Johnson & Johnson for the 16th, is what we wanted, but they did not give us Johnson & Johnson. All we are using is Moderna so far in San Pat County."
Krebs explained that they put in a request for the J&J vaccine on Wednesday. He says that because that vaccine works by a single dose, it would greatly help the county's small immunization department.
Vaccine opportunities continue to expand throughout the county in various ways. On Thursday, the now statewide "Save Our Seniors" initiative officially kicked off in San Pat, Krebs confirmed, which is aimed at vaccinating homebound senior residents.
"The citizens of this county need to know we finally got the vaccine. It was hard. Extremely hard," Krebs said.
"We never thought we would see any vaccines in this county. We were lucky. I know the citizens of the county were quite upset with us that we weren’t doing all that we could. They need to come sit in my chair here and see how many times I call these phone lines up. Calling different – the state trying to get vaccines in here. Talking to people. Emailing people."
The county judge also weighed in on the statewide mask mandate having been lifted this week.
"I'm a big Abbott supporter. I was surprised that he did this this early. Especially with Texas, the small percentage of population the state of Texas has that is totally vaccinated," Krebs said. "I think it was too early and I think most of the medical professionals – Dr. Mobley – seemed to think it was too early. He [Mobley] and I visit all the time. We thought, both of us thought, that if the mask mandate was going to be removed by the governor that it was going to be June 1st."
The San Patricio County COVID-19 hotline is: 361-201-0551.
To register for an upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinic in San Pat County, click here.
Registration for a first-dose clinic happening in Aransas Pass will open on Friday, March 12, beginning at 9 a.m. That clinic will be on March 16 at the Aransas Pass Civic Center and is by appointment only.
More information can be found on the county's Emergency Management website. Visit here.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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