The University moved COVID-19 vaccine operations to Gregory Gymnasium on Monday to accommodate a large-scale distribution after being designated as a vaccine hub by the Texas government.
Jonathan Robb, director for the Office of Emergency Preparedness, said the University moved the location for vaccine distribution to Gregory Gym to allow a more efficient distribution of the state-provided doses.
Robb said UT is currently vaccinating about 1,000 people per day, including members of the UT community and the general public. UT currently receives a weekly allocation of 1,950 first doses and 1,950 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This week, UT also expects to receive about 1,000 doses total of the Moderna vaccine, he said.
As of Wednesday, a total of 19,275 vaccinations have been administered through UT since the school started distribution in December, Robb said.
“The vaccination process is a continuum,” said Veronica Treviño, media manager of Financial and Administrative Services Communications. “We keep moving through allocation while receiving more. Operations don't stop week to week while we wait for vaccines. We also have the vaccines stored and prepare them for distribution as needed for each day.”
Vaccinations are distributed by appointment for those in the state-defined Phase 1A and 1B criteria. UT is providing free parking at Brazos Garage for those receiving their vaccines, Robb said. Signs guide people from the garage to the gym, and shuttles between the two locations are available for those who need assistance, Robb said.
Nhat Pham, who volunteered to administer vaccines, said Gregory Gym is a prime location for the new vaccine distribution site due to its central location on campus.
Previously, UT administered vaccines in the Family Wellness Center at the School of Nursing and the Health Discovery Building at the Dell Medical School, Pham said.
“Speedway usually gets a ton of traffic from students and other people,” said Pham, molecular and cellular biology junior. “Because Greg is located right next to it, it's a very ideal site.”
Psychology freshman Aishini Damaraju said although she would prefer if vaccines were administered in a clinical setting, UT is doing the best it can with vaccine distribution right now.
“Where I currently live, Houston, the city has been organizing these ‘vaccine hubs’ and they give vaccines anywhere basically,” Damaraju said. “I think people are just trying their best right now.”
Hairuo Yi contributed to this story.
