NUECES COUNTY, Texas — Dr. Chris Bird of Coastal Bend COVID-19 Task Force said with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines being slow, it could take a year to get everyone in the Coastal Bend their first dose.
With second doses having to be administered as well, it could take even longer than that.
So what might a delay in receiving the second dose of the vaccine mean to your chances of catching COVID-19?
President Joe Biden has promised to get 100 million doses out in 100 days. That's the kind of news Dr. Kim Onufrak, clinical health director for the Nueces County Health Department, is happy to hear.
"We are excited. We definitely at the health district want as many people immunized as possible, so if we can get 100 million people immunized in 100 days, then that's more people, and the faster we can get people immunized the faster we can get back to a normal life," Dr. Onufrak said.
But what if the vaccine rollout continues to go slow?
In a few weeks, there will be a lot of people looking to get their second vaccine shot. Many worry they might not get that second shot in a timely manner.
3News has been told that after the first Moderna vaccine shot, you have 80-percent protection.
If you end up having to wait weeks to get your second shot, will your body still be able to fight off COVID-19 enough to keep you from ending up in a hospital? We asked the experts.
"You're going to have your typical COVID symptoms. I haven't read about anybody getting vaccinated that was positive for COVID being hospitalized, so there is some sense of protection just like with your flu shot," Dr. Onufrak said.
In the coming weeks, those who received their first vaccine shot will be alerted about the need to get their second dose.
"When you register with the Luminaire system, that is actually input by our workers, and those are people at the health district. Once your information is in the system, we have email information and we have phone numbers, so you are alerted through email. You are alerted through phone," Dr. Onufrak said.
That second dose will reportedly provide 95-percent protection from COVID-19.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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