HOUSTON — Many Houstonians waited several hours Saturday to get their first round of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, but many of them said they would’ve waited even longer.
It’s the day Alex Wathen has waited nine months for.
“I have high blood pressure. I have diabetes. I have susceptibility to pneumonia," Wathen said.
So what’s a few more hours?
“I’ll wait a whole day for this if I have to, you know," Wathen said. "I just had to make sure I get it. I just cant take any chance.”
Wathen was one of the lucky ones who got in to get a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Kari McElfish was another.
“It was a very smooth, but long process," McElfish said.
McElfish said she got there around 10 a.m. but didn’t actually get her shot until almost six hours later.
“Today was just kind of a glitch. I think that happened. I think they have everything under control. They’re going to be doing it again tomorrow," McElfish said.
Being a home health specialist, she was one of the few who qualified to get the vaccine.
“I'm excited, because it’s one step closer to normalizing our lives again. Just getting our normal lives back," McElfish said.
But as we’ve all learned, normalcy takes time.
“It's been an all day process," Brenda Taylor said.
Taylor is just happy to be one step closer.
“I just hope for all of us, that this is contained, and we can get back to our normal lives," Taylor said.
There will be another opportunity to get a Moderna vaccine Sunday and more this week.
The call center is back up and running, and we’re told there is still availability for Sunday. You can start calling (832) 393-4220 from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit the Houston Health Department’s website.