AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Public Health will trial a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site beginning this weekend at the Toney Burger Center in South Austin.
APH said during the pilot, 1,500 people will be vaccinated, but the site has the capacity to expand and serve 3,000 people per day. Vaccines will be reallocated from other locations as supply remains limited.
Traffic patterns around the Toney Burger Center will be changing on-site during the operation this weekend.
Health officials practiced drive-thru vaccine operations with flu shots at the Travis County Expo Center on Nov. 7, 2020, APH said.
While there are other drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination sites in Central Texas, including at Circuit of the Americas and the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, all previous APH sites have been walk-in operations.
Drive-thru sites require nearly three times as many staff and volunteers to operate, APH said.
Across all sites combined, APH has the capacity to vaccinate up to 37,000 every week. The health department has been receiving an average of 12,000 Moderna first doses per week since January.
All APH vaccination sites are by appointment only. More information on registering for the vaccine through APH can be found at http://www.austintexas.gov/covid19.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: