Day 2: Hundreds attend drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Harvey Convention Center

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Hundreds of East Texans attended the 2nd-day clinic at Harvey Hall in Tyler to get the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.

East Texas News caught up with some of the people who got the vaccine and why this is important to achieving herd immunity.

Due to cold temperatures, organizers decided to administer the vaccine inside the convention center. In eight hours, 500 vaccines were given to qualified East Texans.

Athens resident Jerry Lansdale explained why he signed up.

“It’s for my children and my grandchildren,” Lansdale said. “I want to be a part of their lives, and if this helps it, let’s do it.”

Net Health CEO George Roberts said the public’s demand to get vaccinated is high. Moving forward, they anticipate having more routine vaccine clinics for East Texans.

“We’re looking forward to next week. We will be able to do another clinic next week, probably later in the week,” Roberts said. “We’re going to watch the weather but we’re excited to get this out. Excited to start seeing people get immunized, so they can get our herd immunity built up in our community.”

As more and more people receive the doses, state expert vaccination advisory panel member and Smith County Health Authority doctor Paul McGaha said herd immunity can be achieved in the coming months.

“With each dose, we get closer to herd immunity; that’s where if we vaccinate about 60 to 70 percent of the population, by all practical purposes, it protects the rest of community,” McGaha said.

Deborah Macziewski said she was on four different waiting lists to receive the vaccine before she got her dose this afternoon.

“First of all, I’m grateful that they took me today … a sigh of relief,” Macziewski said. “I’m just relieved that the first step has been completed.”

Everyone who received the vaccine today will return for their second dose in just under a month.

For more information to see if you qualify to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.

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