Mayor Sylvester Turner joined Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Methodist Hospital CEO and President Marc Boom Tuesday to learn more about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and observe the first wave of healthcare workers receive vaccinations.

After touring the vaccination room and speaking with doctors and nurses about the process, the mayor commended Methodist Hospital for its work during the pandemic and for being among the first area hospitals to inoculate frontline staff.

“Even in the midst of the storm, there is still a rainbow in the sky, and today, we saw that rainbow over the City of Houston sky,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “People trust their healthcare providers and seeing them get the vaccine sends a positive message throughout the City of Houston.”

The Texas Department of State Health Services announced that seven hospitals in the Texas Medical Center would receive a vaccine shipment this week. MD Anderson Cancer Center was the first area hospital to receive a vaccine shipment on December 14. Texas Children's Hospital Main, LBJ Hospital, CHI St. Luke Health, Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Ben Taub General Hospital received vaccine shipments on December 15.

According to the State, front- line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are the first groups to be vaccinated, and the State’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel will make recommendations about subsequent groups.

It will take a matter of months to manufacture and distribute enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated. Until then, the Mayor and Houston Health Department are encouraging people to continue to do their part by wearing a mask and maintaining a social distance while around people they don’t live with, staying home when possible, and frequently washing their hands.

“I encourage every single Houstonian to take the vaccine when the opportunity arrives. As a city, we are in this together, and as a city, we will overcome the challenges of 2020 and remain vigilant and hopeful for 2021,” said Mayor Turner. The mayor plans to

get vaccinated once he becomes eligible.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit:

www.HoustonEmergency.org/ covid-19-vaccines/