RURAL

Healthcare worker shortages and lack of resources were already issues for rural communities before the pandemic and when it hit, those barriers were exacerbated. That's why national funding has created a virtual program aimed to help those providers.

COVID-19 infections have been on a steady rise all summer, and it’s starting to wear out medical staff at hospitals in rural Texas communities where facilities are short-staffed and not used to the ongoing demand for care.

In the third week of COVID-19 vaccine allotments, 23,975 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine will be sent to Bexar County hospitals, according to the state’s health department. The Bexar County hospitals set to receive the shipments include University Health System, Christus Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center, Methodist hospitals and the UT Health San Antonio clinic, Wellness 360. State health officials believe the vaccine will be offered to the general public beginning Spring 2021. Read more about vaccines on KSAT.com:Will COVID-19 vaccines work on the new coronavirus variant? CVS administers COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents, employees starting MondayKSAT Explains: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines

Dozens of hospitals, urgent care clinics and H-E-B pharmacies in Bexar County are slated to receive 30,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week. Made by Moderna, the vaccine requires two doses like the already approved Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna vaccine was endorsed by a government advisory panel on Thursday in a 20-0 vote. Some rural areas that had been waiting for word on when they would receive shipments will be included in week 2, data shows. Last week, nearly 30,000 doses of the Pfizer-made vaccine were shipped to San Antonio-area hospitals and military bases.

HONDO, Texas – This week, 110 Texas hospitals have received or will receive a much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine, while many others await word on when theirs will arrive. The board president of the Texas Rural Health Association said that, from what he has heard, rural hospitals are essentially standing by. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine ships in batches of 100 instead of 975. A spokeswoman for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa, though, would not comment on whether its New Braunfels location would eventually receive vaccine doses. UT Health San Antonio administers COVID-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare workers

DEWITT COUNTY, Texas – More than 1 million COVID-19 vaccines are expected to come to Texas, and communities are finalizing details on storage, who will be involved, and where the distribution sites will be placed. DeWitt County, which has a population of more than 20,000 people, is seeing the excitement build over the new vaccines. Many rural counties don’t have this resource, including Dewitt County. Smith said people should not contact the vaccine distribution locations that have registered at this time. She said DeWitt County will coordinate with each location and publish when the vaccine will be available to the public and any further information.