SAN ANTONIO — As San Antonio enters year three of confronting the coronavirus pandemic amid the spread of a highly contagious omicron variant, health officials are organizing several pop-up clinics to make vaccines more accessible.
Officials say every Metro Health-operated site and the Alamodome will be distributing $100 gift cards as an incentive for the initial series of shots, while supplies last. In addition, anyone who visits a Metro Health-operated site for their COVID-19 vaccine except for the Alamodome can also get their flu shot for free.
Where to get vaccinated between Jan. 15 and Jan. 22
Saturday
- SWISD Medio Creek Elementary School (8911 Excellence Dr.)
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Metro Health
- Stevens High School (600 North Ellison)
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
- Bethel United Methodist Church (227 South Acme Rd.)
- 10 a.m. to noon
- Pfizer available
- Operated by UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
Sunday
- NISD clinic at Farris Athletic Complex (8400 North Loop 1604 West)
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Metro Health
- Stinson Middle School (13200 Skyhawk Dr.)
- 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
Monday
- Davis-Scott YMCA at Pittman-Sullivan Park (1213 Iowa St.)
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Metro Health
- John Jay High School library (7611 Marbach Rd.)
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
Tuesday
- Antioch Sports Complex (314 Eross St.)
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
- Pre-K 4 SA South Education Center (7031 South New Braunfels)
- 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Pfizer available
- Operated by UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
Wednesday
- Alamodome Parking Lot B (100 Montana St.)
- noon to 8 p.m.
- Pfizer available
Thursday
- Coker United Methodist (231 East North Loop Rd.)
- 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
- Second Baptist Church (3310 East Commerce St.)
- 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by UIW
- Alamodome Parking Lot B (100 Montana St.)
- noon to 8 p.m.
- Pfizer available
Friday
- Frank Garret Multi-Service Center (1226 NW 18th St.)
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Metro Health
- St. Jude Catholic Church (130 South San Augustine Ave.)
- 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
- Alamodome Parking Lot B (100 Montana St.)
- noon to 8 p.m.
- Pfizer available
Saturday, Jan. 22
- Ella Austin Community Center (1023 North Pine St.)
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Metro Health
- Realty One Group Emerald (11535 Galm Rd., Suite 101)
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson available
- Operated by Lela Pharmacy
Elsewhere
Various local pharmacies are also offering the COVID-19 vaccine, including CVS, H-E-B, Health Mart, Walmart and Walgreen's. Find a full list here, and click here to use the federal vaccine locator tool.
Who's eligible to get a vaccine?
The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for everyone older than 4. The Pfizer booster shot has been approved for everyone older than 11, five months after the initial two-dose series.
The Moderna vaccine has been approved for everyone older than 17. The Modern booster shot has been approved for everyone older than 17, five months after the initial two-dose series.
The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved for everyone older than 17. The J&J booster shot has been approved for everyone older than 17, two months since initial vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control said in October it was OK for Americans to mix and match their vaccines and booster shots.
How important is the second dose?
Experts say the booster shots help increase your immunity against the coronavirus. So what happens if you miss the second dose?
"Nothing happens per say, but so far, we would like people to continue to take that second dose if possible. Because that really offers the highest level of efficacy," Dr. Bryan Alsip, University Health.
But, Dr. Alsip said not to stress if you cannot get your second dose within that time frame.
How vaccines work
The best way to combat misinformation is to understand the facts. So, here are the facts regarding vaccines:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a vaccine stimulates your immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if you were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, immunity is developed to the disease.
While vaccines contain the same germs that cause the disease, the germs have either been killed or weakened to the point that they don't make you sick.
"These leading vaccine trials don't have the live virus in them," said Dr. Linda Nabha, an infectious diseases specialist. "So you can't, for example, get COVID from these vaccines that don't have the live virus in them."
That fact was backed up by other experts.
"You cannot get COVID from the vaccine itself because the vaccine doesn't include the full COVID virus," said Dr. David Diemert, an associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University. "So it's not possible for the vaccine to suddenly make the virus in the person's body."
Vaccine progress in Bexar County
The following numbers are provided by San Antonio Metro Health. A full breakdown can be found here.
- 1.699 million eligible Bexar County residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of Thursday, Jan. 13, representing 89.7% of the county's population eligible (those over the age of 4) to receive a vaccination.
- 1.383 million eligible Bexar County residents are fully vaccinated as of Thursday, Jan. 13, representing 73% of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
