Texas COVID vaccine waitlist now open

Texas opened registration for the COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 16 years or older Monday, and with the move, the state launched a website to help people sign up to get it.

The Texas Public Health Vaccine Scheduler is another way people can sign up to be on a waitlist to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Users create a profile with basic personal information, and then answer a few screening questions to determine priority like if you’re a first responder, work in a hospital or if you have a pre-existing condition.

Once you’re done, you can select preferred days of the week and either a morning or afternoon appointment, and the system will do its best to match you with your preferences at a vaccine site near your address. You can pick between receiving a text message or email to be notified when you’ve been matched with an appointment.

If the state’s site has too much traffic, you will get sent to a waiting room. It will tell you that you are in line, ask you not to refresh or close your browser, and it should give you an estimated wait time.

If you need any additional support, DSHS asks that you call its Texas Vaccine Support Center at 1-833-832-7067.

Texas Department of State Health Services runs the site, and even after signing up for the waitlist, the state recommends and encourages people to keep looking at other ways to get the vaccine. It has a map of state providers.

The state expects vaccine dose supply to go up. Texas will get more than 1 million doses this week.

DSHS says it is allocating 818,410 doses to 779 providers in 202 counties. More than 200,000 additional first doses will go to pharmacy locations and federally-qualified health centers.

The state is ordering 587,950 doses intended as a second dose.