Take Care, Texas!
Let’s do all we can to stay healthy.
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FREE COVID-19 VACCINATION SITES
Vaccines and boosters, made quick and easy.
TEST LOCATIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE
Local Take Care, Texas resources – many of them, free
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Events: Vaccines and boosters
UTHealth Houston COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
6414 Fannin, Suite G-125
Houston, TX 77030
Monday through Friday at 1-4pm
By Appointment only: https://go.uth.edu/takecaretx-utphysicians
UT Physicians Family Practice - Bayshore
11452 Space Center Boulevard
Houston, TX 77059
October 1 at 9 am - 1 pm
By appointment only
UT Physicians Family Practice - Bellaire Station
6500 West Loop South, Suite 200-B
Bellaire, TX 77401
October 8 at 8 am - 12 pm
By appointment only
FAQ
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Someone at the party I went to has COVID-19. What do I do?
Even if you’ve been vaccinated or had COVID-19 before, the safest thing to do is to start wearing a mask immediately whenever you are around others, and keep wearing it for 10 days. Watch for symptoms. If you have any symptoms, isolate immediately and get tested.
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How can I protect my school-age kids from COVID-19?
Get them vaccinated. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older. The vaccine will protect them from the disease, or the worst of it, and allows them to get back to their normal activities. Teach them to wash their hands well and often. Masks are smart, too. And if your kids show symptoms, get them tested. Visit the CDC website for more prevention tips.
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Why are people still wearing masks?
Even though masks are no longer required, most authorities agree, it’s still smart for people to wear a mask to protect themselves and to prevent themselves from potentially spreading COVID-19 to others, especially in crowded indoor spaces. Not all masks are created equal – the best masks to use are N95 or KN95 masks.
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When can people under age 50 get a second booster shot?
The CDC recommends that people ages 5 and older receive one updated Pfizer or Moderna booster. This booster, also called a bivalent booster, targets the most recent Omicron COVID-19 variants. You can get this booster at least two months after your last booster or after the second dose of your primary COVID-19 vaccines. Use this easy tool to find out more.
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I'm vaccinated, but my kids aren't. We're going to visit family. What should we do?
It’s best to be sure you are all vaccinated and/or boosted before you travel. Get tested 3 days or less before you leave. Traveling by car is safest. Wearing a mask on public transportation is still the smart choice to stay protected. Learn more here.
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How long does COVID-19 immunity last?
Evidence shows that most fully vaccinated people and those who have been infected each have a low rate of getting COVID-19 for at least 6 months. The protection may fade sooner for the elderly and those who have underlying health conditions. However, the COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against getting infected, whether you have already had the virus or not. The main reason is the immunity you get from the vaccine is more predictable, and that’s a good thing.
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I was up to date on my COVID-19 vaccines and got a breakthrough infection. What are my chances of developing long COVID?
The data coming out shows that long COVID occurs more in unvaccinated people, and it’s more severe for them. Long COVID is less common with the Omicron variant.
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The Doctor’s Corner
Susan Fisher-Hoch, MD, PhD • Professor, UTHealth School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus
Why are people still wearing masks?
It’s very sensible to wear masks in certain circumstances. This is what I do if I’m in a crowded place or in a poorly ventilated place with people I don’t know. Think about this: If you don’t smoke, and you go past a smoker, even quite a distance from you, you smell it. And you know you’re breathing in what came out of that person’s lungs. It’s the same with COVID-19.
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The Doctor’s Corner
Joseph McCormick, MD • Founding Dean and Professor of Epidemiology, UTHealth School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus
How do I keep myself safe?
You get vaccinated and boosted. You wear a mask whenever you think you’re at risk. And you don’t need to care whether anybody else is wearing a mask. As someone who has worked in this field for decades I know the science shows that wearing a mask helps.
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The Doctor’s Corner
Jacquelyn Minter, MD • Director, Fort Bend County Health and Human Services
Why are people who have been vaccinated still getting COVID-19?
The COVID-19 virus has changed many times since 2019. We’ve all heard of the different variants over the past two and a half years. That’s what’s causing a lot of the disease that’s going on now. Many vaccinated people infected with COVID-19 may not have been up to date with boosters. But they’re still safer because their symptoms are milder and don’t last as long.
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The Doctor’s Corner
Paul McGaha, DO, MPH • Local Health Authority, Smith County; Associate Professor, UT Tyler School of Medicine
What would you say to someone who is afraid of the COVID-19 vaccine?
I know some people are still shy about taking the vaccine. Being in the field for 35+ years and looking at all the research, I know this is no longer an “experimental vaccine.” Hundreds of millions of doses have been given now. I consider it safe and effective, and my family and I have all taken it.
TESTING 101: WHY AND WHEN TO GET TESTED
Testing is a smart way to stay safe and protect others you live, work, visit or gather with. Here’s when to test:
Other times to consider testing:
- Before attending school, work or large group settings
- Before or after travel
COVID-19 tests: A quick guide
Rapid tests
- Quick and easy, taken at home or anywhere
- Results in 15-30 minutes
- At-home tests are available for sale around the U.S. Check with local retailers and pharmacies to see where at-home tests are available.
- Have health insurance? You can get reimbursed for 8 at-home tests each month. Learn more at CMS.gov
Laboratory tests
- Taken at a lab or other facility
- Results usually in 1-3 days
- Low or no-cost lab tests are available at select pharmacies and local health centers. Find a local testing site at HHS.gov
Scenario 1
If your Covid-19 test result was positive, here are 6 things to do: 1. Isolate at home for at least 5 days. 2. Talk to your doctor and monitor your symptoms. 3. Notify your close contacts to stop the spread. 4. Wear a well-fitting mask around others at home. 5. Before ending isolation: get a follow-up lab test; consult with your doctor if you were severely ill or have a weakened immune system. 6. If you’re not vaccinated, talk to your doctor about when to get vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19.
Scenario 2
If your Covid-19 test result was negative using a home test, but you have symptoms, it could be a false negative. Get a lab test or take another home test 24-36 hours later. Wear a well-fitting mask around others, at home and in public.
Scenario 3
If your Covid-19 test result was negative using a home test, and you have no symptoms, chances are, you’re negative. Go back to normal activities. Monitor for developing symptoms and retest if necessary. Are you up to date on vaccines? Get vaccinated to protect yourself and others from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Unless in isolation, wear a mask around others in public spaces. If you’re vaccinated, wear a mask around others in public spaces for more protection.
Scenario 4
If your Covid-19 test result was negative using a lab test, chances are, you’re negative. Go back to normal activities. Monitor for developing symptoms and retest if necessary. Are you up to date on vaccines? Get vaccinated to protect yourself and others from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Unless in isolation, wear a mask around others in public spaces. If you’re vaccinated, wear a mask around others in public spaces for more protection.
ARE YOU IN A HOT SPOT?
COMMUNITY TOOLKIT
Take Care, Texas has lots of resources for you on Google Drive. You can find maps, flyers, postcards and doorhangers. We organize them by region and language, and we update them regularly.
ABOUT
Take Care, Texas is a program led by UTHealth School of Public Health and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination in our communities to help stop the spread of infection. Take Care, Texas is supported by grant funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources & Services Administration.
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