
Four boxes containing 400 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the UT Health RGV/Knapp Family Health Center in Mercedes on Monday, Dec. 28. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
News Release | Health
Four boxes containing 400 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived at the UT Health RGV/Knapp Family Health Center in Mercedes on Monday, Dec. 28. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)
Monday, December 28, 2020
Community
By News and Internal Communications
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine – the second vaccine granted emergency authorization by the federal government – arrived Monday at the UT Health RGV/Knapp Family Health Center in Mercedes and the UTRGV Clinical Education Building in Harlingen.
UT Health RGV received a total of 900 doses, of which 500 will go to Harlingen and also be administered in Brownsville, and 400 for Mercedes.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION
UT Health RGV will begin administering the Moderna vaccine by appointment only from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on the following days and at the following locations:
The UTRGV School of Medicine and its care team, UT Health RGV, continue to safely and efficiently administer the COVID-19 vaccine based on group prioritization and vaccine availability.
The limited supply of vaccines will only be administered to the three groups of individuals who have been prioritized by state health officials to receive the vaccine first:
REGISTER FOR VACCINE
For individuals that fall within any of these groups, please register with UT Health RGV by completing an online form. Individuals with any of the comorbidities listed above will be asked to self-disclose their condition in order to secure an appointment.
UT Health RGV will not be distributing vaccines on a first-come, first-serve, walk-in basis, so as to not lead to long lines and hours-long waits — two factors that could increase exposure to COVID-19 at a time when cases are increasing.
As of Monday morning, over 4,000 individuals had already registered with UT Health RGV.
A couple of weeks ago, UTRGV received 1,950 of the Pfizer vaccines, which were administered to the university’s healthcare providers and support staff as well as non-UTRGV healthcare workers.
Dr. John H. Krouse, UTRGV executive vice president for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, urged continued caution and adherence to the safety protocols, to include wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and maintaining six feet of distance from others.
“When it is your time, and you are prioritized to receive the vaccine, you should do so,” said Krouse. “We really know that the vaccine is the way that all of us are going to be able to get back to a more normal life. And then, hopefully next year when we are getting to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we will be able to be with our families in a way that we really can’t quite be this year.”
For more information or to fill out the registration form, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine webpage. For the latest UTRGV operational updates, protocols and guidelines regarding COVID-19, visit and Commitment to Safety and Success.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.