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Williamson County Administers 6,000 Doses During 24-Hour COVID 'Vax-a-thon'

A health care worker sticks a needle containing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine into someone's arm.
Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT
Family Hospital Systems hosted a "vax-a-thon" over the weekend to catch up on appointments rescheduled because of the storm and to allow folks to get vaccinated outside normal working hours.

Family Hospital Systems, the hub administering vaccines for Williamson County, hosted a first-of-its-kind vaccine marathon last weekend.

Health care workers administered 6,000 vaccines — both first and second doses — in a 24-hour “vax-a-thon” starting at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.

Spokesperson Jen Stratton said the event was held to catch up on appointments that had to be rescheduled because of the winter storm and to “put a dent further in the Williamson County waitlist.”

Nathaniel Greenwood, Family Hospital Systems' chief medical officer, said in a Facebook post that the event also gave people an opportunity to get vaccinated outside normal working hours.

“Our goal is to ensure the people who are generally unable to come to our vaccine hub during our regular hours are able to receive their first vaccine doses,” Greenwood said. “By providing vaccines in this manner, it is our hope that we will reach a population that has been underserved.”

Vaccines were available by appointment only.

The vax-a-thon had an '80s theme, featuring movies from that decade, costumes and music. There was also a food drive to gather and donate items to the Hill Country Community Ministries food bank.

Vaccines will be administered as regularly scheduled this week,
Stratton said.

Allyson Ortegon is a former Williamson County reporter for KUT.
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