When final approval is granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a Pfizer vaccine to battle COVID-19, the medicine could be on the way to Texas in a matter of a few days from now.

Friday morning, December 11, Brown County Judge, Dr. Paul Lilly, gave local media a report on the Operation Warp Speed Summit he attended on Tuesday, December 8, at the White House in Washington, D.C.  Governor Greg Abbott was one of several governors in attendance.  The meeting was led by President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence.

“The Pfizer vaccine is what we’ll be getting in Texas.  It is the vaccine that must be stored at almost 100 degrees below zero.  We, as taxpayers in Brown County, should not be out any money to store that.  It should arrive in its own containers to keep it at that temperature well beyond the time it will take for us to disseminate it,” Lilly said.

When the FDA gives formal approval of the Emergency Use Authorization, which could come as early as today (Friday), it sets a chance of events into action.

FedEx jets will deliver the vaccine to distribution centers in the western United States (including our part of Texas) while UPS jets will deliver the vaccine to the eastern United States.

“Once the EUA is approved, within 72 hours we will have the vaccine here or in any of the 254 (Texas) counties that need it.  It will be immediately placed on trucks and shipped.  So essentially, no further than we are from Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth, we expect to have it in our county delivered to our health authority,” Lilly said.  It will take another 72 hours to disseminate the vaccine to health care providers, Lilly said.

Scheduled to receive the vaccine first will be health care workers followed by those in public safety followed by residents of care facilities and senior citizens.

Judge Lilly stressed that getting the vaccine is up to the individual.

“I want to state unequivocally that nobody in Brown County, absolutely no one, and as far as I know no one anywhere, is going to be required to take the vaccine, period.   It’s entirely a personal choice between you and your health care provider,” Lilly said.  He added that he does plan to take the vaccine but added that some severe allergy sufferers have had adverse reaction to the vaccine in clinical trials.

“Those who suffer severe allergies, I want to speak to you directly.  You need to contact your health care provider specifically and make an educated decision as to whether or not you should take the vaccine,” Lilly added.

Walgreens and CVS pharmacies, both available in Brownwood, have been selected as locations for vaccinations as will local health care providers.  Lilly said that drive-through inoculations are not planned at this time.

“The vaccine will cost no one anything, it is absolutely free, it has been paid for by public money.  The vaccine itself you will not be charged for,” Lilly said, adding that as of Tuesday CVS and Walgreens did not plan to charge any type of administrative fee for the time it takes to give the vaccination.  Private health care providers can charge an office visit or administrative fee, Lilly said.

“CVS and Walgreens also announced they will be issuing the injections by appointment only.  You can’t just show up and expect to be inoculated.  They’re not taking appointment times yet.  As soon as the vaccine gets here is when that will begin,” Lilly said.

In closing:

“Within one week of the vaccine arriving here in Brown County, a vast majority of everyone who chooses to take the inoculation will have access to it.  It will happen that fast.  The Pfizer vaccine is a two-part vaccine. The first inoculation will give you anywhere between 80 and 85% immunity from the virus.  The secondary vaccine, which follows 20 to 30 days later, will put you up to 95%,” Lilly said.

More information will be forthcoming from the local health department when time comes for the vaccine to be distributed in Brown County.