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No walk-ins for H-E-B COVID-19 vaccines; doses still reserved for waitlisted health care workers

Next phase will be vaccinated when 1A frontline workers are off waitlists, more vaccines arrive

No walk-ins for H-E-B COVID-19 vaccines; doses still reserved for waitlisted health care workers

SAN ANTONIO – It’s been almost a week since 44 H-E-B pharmacies in San Antonio received limited doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Pharmacists immediately began vaccinating people in the state’s Phase 1A, which is comprised of health care workers.

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“Most of our locations still have a waitlist for those in Phase 1A. And as we continue to receive more supply of vaccine, we will work through those waitlists and continue on to other eligible phases,” said Julie Bedingfield, with H-E-B Public Affairs.

Bedingfield said even though the state of Texas is now allowing people in the next phase to be vaccinated, those people will have to wait a little longer to get vaccines at San Antonio H-E-B pharmacies until there are no more health care workers in line.

Phase 1B includes people 65 and older, and people 16 and older with at least one chronic illness.

How to track down a COVID-19 vaccine for people in Phase 1B in Texas

“As we move into phase 1B, hopefully next week, we will set up an online scheduler,” Bedingfield said.

That online scheduler will soon appear on H-E-B’s pharmacy webpage. People are being asked to use that instead of trying to call the pharmacy to schedule appointments.

Walk-ins are not allowed for one main reason: vaccine waste.

“With the Moderna vaccine in particular, every vial we receive has 10 doses that we can administer. Once you puncture that vial, it’s a ticking clock to get those administered. The appointments we’re scheduling are in groups of 10, so we know not a single dose is wasted,” Bedingfield explained.

She echoed health care workers in saying once you have an appointment to get the vaccine, it is crucial that you do not miss it or show up late.

Any Phase 1A health care workers who still want to be vaccinated can email WellnessServices@heb.com to make an appointment.

Anyone else can check early next week on the H-E-B pharmacy webpage for the new scheduler that will allow you to sign up to receive the vaccine when there is enough supply.