COVID-19 Information

Kelsey-Seybold has received 5,200 vaccine doses since Dec. 23, 2020 and followed requirements set by the State of Texas to vaccinate healthcare workers and first responders immediately in addition to our most vulnerable patients starting Jan. 4.

As of Friday, Jan. 15, our supply has been exhausted. We received no vaccine allocations the week of Jan. 11 and are awaiting information from the state about when our next vaccine allocation will be shipped.

Until we know more about our future vaccine supply, we encourage all patients who are currently eligible to take advantage of any community vaccination opportunity.

Kelsey-Seybold has registered with The State of Texas to receive and administer the COVID vaccine.

We have received very limited supply compared to the number of patients eligible to receive the vaccine (5,200 doses as of Dec. 23 for 160,000+ patients who meet 1b criteria). Unfortunately, there simply isn’t enough vaccine to meet the current demand.

Kelsey-Seybold is following guidance from Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC on who can get the vaccine while supply is very limited.

Appointments for the vaccination will be prioritized by our most vulnerable patients first. We are directly reaching out to those patients, starting with the eldest first. Patients will receive notification via phone and/or a MyKelseyOnline scheduling ticket to schedule their vaccination appointment.

If you have not received notification from us about scheduling, please be patient. We will continue to outreach and notify patients as more vaccine supply is received.

**All COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be managed through outbound campaigns to patients. There is no need to call and check vaccine availability.**

Because of the very limited supply availability, Kelsey-Seybold will be contacting patients directly and based on state and CDC criteria to schedule vaccination appointments.

Patients will be notified by phone and/or through their MyKelseyOnline (MKO) account.

This vaccine is likely the most important step to ending this pandemic, and our goal is to support vaccinating as many members of the community as possible. We will be receiving initial supply distributions based on current employee and patient data that we filed with the State and will first be administering the vaccine to our employees and patients who meet the key criteria and are in defined priority groups.

As supply increases, we anticipate adding more patient groups based on guidance received. When vaccine supply is more widespread, it is our hope to open appointments to community members and those who are not current patients (i.e. those who have not had an appointment within the last three years).

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic must comply with The State of Texas guidelines and vaccinate only those who are eligible to receive the vaccine while supplies are limited. The state guidance is allowing vaccination for those in Phase 1A and Phase 1B, which includes those 65 years and older.

Kelsey-Seybold has received a limited amount of vaccine doses (5,200 doses as of Dec. 23 for more than 160,000+ patients who meet 1b criteria) and is vaccinating the eldest patients first.

Please keep in mind that due to limited availability of the vaccine, it will likely take several months for all individuals within these phases to receive vaccination. Until we know more about our future vaccine supply, we strongly encourage all patients who are currently eligible to take advantage of any community vaccination opportunity.

Learn more about the newly established state vaccination centers open to eligible Phase 1A and 1B individuals: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine-hubs.aspx

Based on supply and future allocations, we will begin to notify KelseyCare Advantage members accordingly, so they can schedule an appointment to be vaccinated. We have accounted for all KelseyCare Advantage members in our reporting to the Texas Department of Health Services as part of their planning for allocation and distribution of the vaccine. We will be communicating with our KelseyCare Advantage members when details are confirmed about scheduling their vaccine.

At this time under the FDA’s emergency approval process, the Pfizer vaccine has only been approved for 16 years and older. The Moderna vaccine is approved for 18 years and older.

There is not enough vaccine for everyone at this time, so healthcare providers are vaccinating patients based on the tiered groups outlined by the CDC as well as the supply that is allocated and received.

We are following CDC guidance and the number of doses being allocated by the State to be able to vaccinate the highest-risk individuals first. If members in your household are current patients and meet the specified risk group criteria, they will receive notification to schedule accordingly once vaccine supply is received. This is a complex logistical process, and we continue to ask for patience and understanding as we work to meet the needs of all our patients and the overall demand for the vaccine.

You should anticipate the appointment will take at least 30 minutes. This includes a 15-minute observation period after receiving the vaccine. The vaccine will require two doses. Patients will receive a second dose either 21 or 28 days after their first inoculation, depending on the manufacturer of the vaccine.

There is no cost to the public to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Once you receive both doses of the vaccine, it will be recorded in your MyKelseyOnline account where you can access the information, if needed. You do not need to report to the State of Texas, Kelsey-Seybold will provide necessary reports and documentation of vaccine immunizations to the TDSHS.

Patients will receive communication via text, email or both, that they have been assigned a “scheduling ticket.”

Once notified about the scheduling ticket, patients will be able to directly schedule their COVID-19 vaccination from their MKO account or MyKelsey/MyChart app.

Due to limited supply of doses available, patients will be contacted in phases based on supply availability. **All COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be managed through outbound campaigns to patients. There is no need to call and check appointment or supply availability for the COVID-19 at this time.**

Below are examples of what you will see when you receive notification of a scheduling ticket to make your appointment.

If you do not have a MyKelseyOnline account you may set one up online at mykelseyonline.com or by calling the MKO helpline at 713-442-6565 (7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.)

Patients who received their first dose of the vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold also scheduled their second vaccination appointment at that time.

Second doses are accounted for in by the State and you will need to receive your second dose of the vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold. This is critical to achieve full protection from the coronavirus.

Current vaccine supply limitations are not related to providers receiving second doses of the vaccine as these have been accounted for by the State.

No, you do not have to get your vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold. If you meet the current criteria to be vaccinated, you can receive the vaccine anywhere supply is available.

Please note: Based on recent announcements from the State of Texas and overall demand for the vaccine, large-scale vaccination centers have been established to streamline and speed up administering the vaccine. We believe the State will divert large allocations of the vaccine supply to these newly established vaccination centers over the coming weeks, which may impact Kelsey-Seybold’s future allocations in near term.

Until we know more about our future vaccine supply, we encourage all patients who are currently eligible to take advantage of any community vaccination opportunity.

If you meet the current criteria to be vaccinated, you may receive the vaccine anywhere supply is available. This includes Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, or any other community vaccination hub that offers the vaccine.

Based on recent announcements from the State of Texas and overall demand for the vaccine, large-scale vaccination centers have been established to streamline and speed up administering the vaccine. We believe the state will divert large allocations of the vaccine supply to these newly established vaccination centers over the coming weeks in January, which may impact Kelsey-Seybold’s future allocations in the near term.

Until we know more about our future vaccine supply, we encourage all patients who are currently eligible to take advantage of any community vaccination opportunity. We are continuing to inquire with the State of Texas on when we will receive vaccine allocations for our most vulnerable patients. Vaccine distribution is being managed exclusively by The State of Texas.

Patients who received their first dose of the vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold also scheduled their second vaccination appointment at that time. Second doses are accounted for by the state and you will need to receive your second dose of the vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold. This is critical to achieve full protection from the coronavirus.

The second dose for those who received their first dose at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic has been distributed by the state to Kelsey-Seybold (expected to arrive the week of Jan. 18, 2021). Current vaccine supply limitations are not related to providers receiving second doses of the vaccine as these have been accounted for by the state.

Kelsey-Seybold doctors recommend that anyone eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine do so. There are no medical diagnoses that are contraindications (conditions in a recipient that increases the risk for a serious adverse reaction) to vaccination. Only those with a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the vaccine or one of its components, or those who are moderately or severely ill at the time of the visit should not be vaccinated. Learn More. Patients will be monitored for 15 minutes after the COVID-19 vaccine is administered for immediate adverse reactions.

Yes. Current guidance from the CDC does not say it is either a contraindication (conditions in a recipient that increases the risk for a serious adverse reaction) or a precaution if you have a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and you are can be vaccinated.

From CDC: Persons with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome. To date, no cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) have been reported following vaccination among participants in the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines clinical trials. With few exceptions, ACIP’s general best practice guidelines for immunization does not include history of GBS as a contraindication or precaution to vaccination. Persons with a history of GBS may receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a contraindication to vaccination. Any occurrence of GBS following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination should be reported to VAERS.

Moderna is studying whether individuals will need a third dose of the current vaccine or a modified version to boost immunity against the South African variant at this time, because they have some laboratory evidence that the vaccine in use is somewhat less potent against that strain. As time passes, we will know if that is true in the people who have been vaccinated and if we really will need boosters for variant strains. Fortunately, variant strain vaccines can be made quickly using their processes and likely will not need much additional safety and efficacy study before they could be granted an emergency use authorization, should we find out that they are needed.

Johnson & Johnson applied for FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization for Covid-19 Vaccine on Feb. 4, 2021 for its new single-dose shot. Independent experts will review data from over 40,000 trial participants and plan to meet on Feb. 26, 2021 to make a recommendation. Johnson & Johnson has reported that its vaccine is 85 percent effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19, and 66 percent effective overall at preventing moderate cases of the disease. This vaccine or the one being produced by AstraZeneca may well be next in line to be authorized, and once they are authorized, vaccine supply will increase. We are hopeful that we will get more vaccine prior to authorization of new vaccine types.

We know that some develop poorer immunity and may be reinfected. We are still trying to understand if asymptomatic infections produce long-lasting immunity. For that reason, we recommend that everyone get vaccinated as their tier group comes up. We will not be able to go back to our normal lives until we have good community immunity.

The Pfizer trial is ongoing and fully enrolled, and the Moderna trial is still recruiting young people age 12-17. See our webpage for more information on how to enroll your children if you are interested. Once they have submitted data to the FDA on safety and efficacy in these trial participants, their EUAs will be modified to include younger individuals. Once the safety and efficacy in adolescents is proven, younger children will be enrolled.

Yes, it is still recommended you receive the vaccine. The antibodies/immunity for those who tested positive for COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) may last only a short period of time in your body, which may be why some are reportedly infected with the virus more than once. It is currently recommended that anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 receive the vaccine.

We are confident that the ongoing safety and efficacy testing will result in a vaccine that we can trust and which will prevent a significant proportion of SARS-CoV2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) illnesses. In trials conducted and data reported to date, the vaccines given to more than 70,000 people have prevented 90 – 95% of the infections that would have occurred without the vaccine. This provides evidence these are among the most effective vaccines we have ever seen, much more effective than flu vaccines.

Yes. The testing procedures for these vaccines have been the same as that for other vaccines. The mRNA vaccines do not contain live virus and are being held to the same rigorous safety and effectiveness standards as all other types of vaccines in the United States. The only COVID-19 vaccines the FDA will make available for use in the United States (by approval or emergency-use authorization) are those that meet these standards. Operation Warp Speed has expedited the administrative functions which have cleared the way for a faster release to market. The vaccine is a critical step in our fight against the spread of COVID-19 and ending the pandemic.

Participants in coronavirus vaccine trials did experience side effects such as fever, body aches, headaches, day-long exhaustion, and other symptoms after receiving the immunization. While the symptoms were uncomfortable, most went away after a day or so. It is important to know about these potential side effects so that patients may plan for a possible day of feeling under the weather. Side effects from vaccination are a good sign, an indication that the immune system is responding to the vaccine.

Both vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) will require two doses. Patients will receive a second dose either 21 or 28 days after their first inoculation.

Those who receive the vaccine may experience discomfort from fever or pain for about 24 hours after their vaccination. These are side effects of the vaccine and are a good sign that your immune system is responding.

You should contact your Kelsey-Seybold provider if the redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours or if your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days.

At this time, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that healthcare personnel be offered vaccination in the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program. Healthcare personnel who are pregnant may choose to be vaccinated. This position is supported by both ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) and SMFM (the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine). We recommend pregnant and lactating women discuss their options with their Obstetrician.

Pregnant women and especially pregnant women with comorbidities are at greater risk for severe COVID-19; women may wish to take this into account in their decision-making. Currently, there is limited data available on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant, but based on how mRNA vaccines work, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant. mRNA vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19 and therefore cannot give someone COVID-19.

No. The vaccines available and in development in the U.S. do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19.

According to the CDC, it may take approximately one to two weeks following your second dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

Keep in mind that it will take a few weeks for your body to build immunity after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or after being vaccinated. It is important to continue to practice safety measures and not let your guard down!

It is also not known if the vaccine prevents transmission of COVID-19, which is why it will continue to be important to practice safety measures like social distancing and wearing a mask even after becoming fully immunized.

Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. Other steps, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask and staying at least 6 feet away from others, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.