If you've been waiting for the lines to shorten before getting your COVID shot, now's the time to act.
25 News checked in on vaccine availability, and what's changed since the shots began.
We found it's now easy to walk in, and get a shot, on the spot.
Five months or so into the COVID vaccination roll out, Texas still has a long way to go, But a lot has changed and it has changed for the better.
”The goal will be to get these vaccines out as quickly as we get them,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at the beginning of the vaccination roll out.
When the Coronavirus vaccines hit the streets, it brought long lines at vaccination sites as people camped out for their shots.
Getting an appointment took forever it seemed.
"We were persistent for almost four hours. I mean finally we got through, and someone finally answered the phone," explained Ruben Nava of Houston.
Now, five months later, the lines have disappeared and local governments have started welcoming walk-ins to vaccine clinics, that now extend to grocery stores and local pharmacies.
"I've talked to people who say Oh well I got it at Walmart or I got it H-E-B or I got it at Lynn's, I got it at my doctor's office, I got it from the health district. So there's a lot of options available now for people want to get the vaccine, but the health district specifically you know I'm very excited that we no longer have a wait list, our wait list has been worked through, it's complete." And now, if you want to get a vaccine. This week, you can go to COVIDwaco.com and schedule your appointment," said said Kelly Craine, Public Information Officer for the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.
25 News found over the first weekend in May, you could get an appointment for a shot at the vaccine clinic at the Waco Convention Center within the hour.
When we got there, we saw preparations for Disney World Type lines, but no Disney World-type crowds. The lines had disappeared, and longest part of the process came in the 15 minute wait to see if side effects would show up.
So you can practically walk-in right now.
Dr. Christy Risinger of Austin had a similar experience and put video of it on her YouTube Channel "Your Health with Dr. Christy"
"It's 100,000 Texans need to get vaccinated on a daily basis," said Dr. Jay Hotez, of the Baylor College of Medicine.
And the vaccination rate in Texas steadily climbed for most of the past five months with a short pause for the ice storm.... The beginning of May brought more than 100 thousand vaccinations.
Even so... Texas remains woefully short of that highly sought after "herd immunity" that protects everyone.
"Herd immunity works, because there are just not enough people who are available to contract the virus and be able to pass it on to somebody else. And so if you had been vaccinated, and we came across someone that had not, that person who had not been vaccinated would benefit from you, Having had your vaccination," explained Dr. William McCunniff, of the Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Midway Clinic.
But it's only going to work, he says, if more Texans step up to get their shots, and with no lines anymore, we have one less reason to delay.
To see more of Dr. Christy Risinger's "Your Health" videos on YouTube click here: "Your Health with Dr. Christy"
