All you need to know to get a Covid vaccine in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas -- Most of you reading this are now eligible to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

The Texas Department of State Health Services announced that all adults are eligible for the vaccine as of March 29. The CDC recommended on May 12 that children aged 12 to 15 can get the Pfizer vaccine. This article explains all you need to know if you live in El Paso and want to get vaccinated. This was last updated on May 12 and will be continued to be updated if new important information is released.

WHO EXACTLY IS ELIGIBLE?

Anyone 12 years or older can get the Covid vaccine. But that doesn't mean everyone can get any of the vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- at least at the moment.

People 12 and older can get the Pfizer vaccine.

People 18 and older can get the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

These companies are currently conducting trials with younger people. If the tests show positive results, each vaccine may be used in younger age groups in the future, if approved by the FDA and the CDC.

WHAT'S THE FASTEST WAY TO GET A VACCINE IN EL PASO?

The City of El Paso and University Medical Center (UMC) announced in late April that they'll be offering Covid-19 walk-up vaccinations. No appointments are needed.

The city is offering shots at the El Paso Convention Center downtown from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

UMC is offering vaccines at the El Paso County Coliseum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

The city, county and other local providers are also having other vaccination events in other parts of El Paso. Go to epcovidvaccine.com and scroll all the way to the bottom to see a calendar that lists when and where they're happening.

HOW DO I SCHEDULE AN VACCINE APPOINTMENT?

Even though the City of El Paso and UMC are offering walk-up vaccinations, they are still allowing you to schedule a vaccine appointment if you prefer that.

The city lets you pre-register at epcovidvaccine.com (click on the yellow button at the top that says PRE-REGISTER HERE). Once you're pre-registered, you will be contacted by phone, text and email to schedule your appointment. Demand is not as as high as before, so you may be able to schedule your appointment pretty quickly.

You can also do pre-register over the phone at 915-212-6843. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's also a good number to call if you have questions about anything related to getting the vaccine, pre-registering or your appointment.

You can also pre-register in person at the city's two Covid Clinics. One is located at 220 South Stanton Street in Downtown El Paso and the other one at 7380 Remcon Circle in West El Paso. Both are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Staff will be there to help you and answer your questions.

UMC is also allowing you to schedule an appointment at umcelpaso.org. You can also call schedule it over the phone at 915-975-8901 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

WHAT ABOUT PHARMACIES, AREN'T THEY ALSO OFFERING VACCINES?

Yes, some of them are. The major ones in El Paso are CVC pharmacies, Walgreens and the ones inside Walmart, Costco and Albertsons stores.
You can schedule an appointment on their websites:

• cvs.com (Also offers walk-up vaccinations, no appointment needed)
• walgreens.com
• walmart.com/covidvaccine (Also offers walk-up vaccinations, no appointment needed)
• albertsons.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html (Also offers walk-up vaccinations, no appointment needed)
• costco.com/covid-vaccine.html (Also offers walk-up vaccinations, no appointment needed)

We also suggest that you use vaccinespotter.org. It's a website that allows you to add your location and tells you where there are vaccine appointments available. For example, it checks if any of the local pharmacies listed above have any.

AREN'T THERE OTHER VACCINE PROVIDERS IN EL PASO?

Click here to see the map that shows all of them.

DO YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION OR FEEL SOMETHING IS MISSING ON THIS ARTICLE?

Let us know through kvia.com/share. We'll keep updating this article when we find out the answer or when we learn new information.