AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Public Health (APH) is transitioning to its "neighborhood model," where it hopes to provide more diversified options for vaccine distribution closer to the people who need them the most. This will include working with faith-based organizations, community centers, apartment complexes and other partners.
Part of this model includes expanding online scheduling and piloting walk-up vaccination operations. Thursday's walk-up clinic served more than 800 people and APH officials said clear interest is encouraging.
"We're trying to open up additional options for the public to access the vaccine at different times through the registration portal, but then also trying to exhaust all of the different potential options that are more accommodating for patients so that they can navigate the vaccine clinic process easily and then it meets their lifestyle and needs," said Cassandra DeLeon, assistant director of Austin Public Health.
However, she said, the registration process "did slow down somewhat." She said there are different factors that probably contribute to that, including a lack of access to vaccination sites.
"... We really are trying to take the vaccine where people live so that there's no barrier," she said. "And that's really where we're at now, is to make sure that there's multiple offerings, there is a lot of options and that there's no barrier, so that we know that the population that still hasn't been vaccinated has a lot of options to choose from.”
When asked if the demand for the vaccine is slowing down, she said it's "evolving."
"... It's hard to say that the vaccine demand is dwindling when we know that there's still a lot of people in our community that need vaccines. We have not gotten close to that 67% vaccination mark," DeLeon said. "We have ZIP codes that are still lagging behind in reaching even 40 and 50% of vaccination. So we really know that we've got to continue to focus vaccine efforts to make sure that everyone has access and that those that have had any issue with trying to access vaccine, that we take it to them and provide that opportunity."
Austin Public Health isn't the only vaccine provider in the Austin area providing walk-up appointments. Here's a list.
And here's a round-up of providers that are offering appointments.
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