Hays County vaccine sign up sees bottleneck Friday

Hays County reopened its vaccine sign up portal Friday to a slew of user issues highlighted by a bottleneck caused by a rush to get onto the website. 

The county reopened its portal in advance of additional Pfizer vaccines expected to be shipped to Hays County by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Vaccines are scheduled to be administered on Monday and Tuesday at Live Oak Health Partners Community Clinic — 401-A Broadway St. in San Marcos — and Hays CISD Performing Arts Center, 979 Kohlers Crossing in Kyle. 

The portal opened at 12 p.m. but access to the portal at haysinformed.com proved to be difficult.

“Our county website never stopped working. We kept refreshing. We kept checking,” Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said in his weekly Facebook Live address. “The bottleneck, unfortunately, to describe what just took place, was with the company that reserves your information.” 

Hays County is using SignUpGenius — an online software tool used for volunteer management and event planning. Becerra said the county is using a paid version of the online tool.

With the county being designated as a vaccine hub by the state, Becerra said people from as far as Dallas signed up to be vaccinated during Friday’s allotment. 

“This is a national pandemic,” Becerra said. “It doesn’t stop at the state and it’s definitely not going to stop at the county. We are not driving how many vaccines come to us. Everyone involved in trying to get vaccine or trying to manage the process of the vaccines is doing their very best to get on the phone, to get on a try to hit refresh on the link and those on the other side are doing their very best to answer your calls, to take your appointment and to take the very next call.” 

Although Hays County is not operating its own waitlist for the vaccine, Becerra said Austin Public Health is managing a waitlist for the geographic footprint. APH’s waitlist can be accessed at https://www.austintexas.gov/aph-vaccine-reg. 

According to the DSHS, 12,299 Hays County residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while only 2,829 residents are considered fully vaccinated as of Monday. The DSHS estimates that there is an estimated population of 196,828 county residents who are 16 years or older. 

During its first COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Jan. 25 and 26, the county administered 1,950 Pfizer vaccine doses. Following this upcoming vaccinations, Becerra said there is no future allotment planned at this time.

“Stay the course Hays County,” Becerra said. “Wear your mask. Keep following CDC guidelines … As vaccines come, we will give them to you just as quick. We’re nothing but a pass through. As vaccines come, they’re coming to you, whoever wants one.”