CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas — Chambers County held its first mass vaccination drive-through this weekend. Health officials said it was a success.
Nearly 350 people were vaccinated Saturday, Jan. 23, Chambers County officials said in a Facebook post Sunday.
Chambers County's vaccination hub marked the first one in Southeast Texas to open. Jefferson County officials are expected to announce new plans for a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan at a press conference with the Southeast Texas Vaccine Committee on Monday at 11 a.m.
Chambers County officials are already making plans to distribute more vaccines.
"Overall the event was a huge success," Chambers County spokesperson Samantha Humphrey said.
The vaccination event was a collaborative effort between several agencies, she said.
"This is a challenge for rural communities that have such limited resources and such limited amount of personnel," Humphrey said. "Working together with other organizations, like we work with the City of Mount Belvieu and Winnie-Stowell EMS, that is going to be the key to success for all of us."
In less than a day, staff at the vaccination hub were able to vaccinate 340 people at White Memorial Park with an average wait time of 20 minutes.
Experience handling recent disasters such as flooding from tropical storms and destruction left by hurricanes contributed to the success of this mass vaccination event, Humphrey said.
"We're tried and true as far as disasters go," she said. "Ultimately, this is a disaster. It's bad, but in a good way, it has given us a lot of practice, so we've got some really good systems in place to help us adapt to whatever situation is thrown our way."
As other counties across Southeast Texas prepare to launch vaccination hubs, Humphrey said it is important for all of the different entities involved to coordinate.
"I definitely recommend pre-registration," she said. "That way, you know who's going to be there and the people who are registered are guaranteed to get the vaccine. And then, just meeting in advance and planning out as many logistical things as they can in advance."
During a time when many have needed to reply on help from neighbors, Chambers County officials said they are willing to lend a helping hand to other counties to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
"If anybody has any questions, Chambers County is always happy to answer questions from other jurisdictions or provide aid," Humphrey said.
"Teamwork is what's going to make an impact in this situation," she said.
Chambers County is planning to host another vaccine distribution next week.
