SAN ANTONIO – Texas MedClinic, an area urgent care clinic system, will not be offering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients and instead will focus on testing for the virus, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
Texas MedClinic says it has been performing more than 1,200 COVID-19 tests per day across 19 clinics. The high demand for testing will limit the clinic system’s ability to offer the vaccine as soon as available, the company said in a statement.
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Dr. David Gude, chief operating officer of Texas MedClinic, said the group had become among the first private providers to offer the COVID-19 test in March.
“With over 250,000 COVID-19 tests performed since March, our staff and facilities are at maximum capacity caring for and guiding patients who have been impacted by the virus,” Gude said. “After careful planning, we determined that we should remain a COVID-19 testing and urgent care resource, allowing our medical and pharmacy counterparts to lead the mass vaccination effort.”
According to Gude, the company anticipates the demand for testing will remain high through the summer of 2021, when experts expect the vaccination level in the area to be greater than 70%.
“The vaccination is an important step in combatting the COVID-19 public health crisis,” Gude said. “We will support those organizations and companies stepping forward to be the vaccination resources in our communities through patient education.”
Vaccine distribution is currently in Phase 1B and now includes all people 65 or older and those 16 years or older with chronic medical conditions that put them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19..