Texas A&M System brings vaccine to underserved rural areas
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System is giving vaccination efforts in rural Texas a shot in the arm, rushing COVID-19 vaccinations to underserved communities. The vaccine push is targeting homebound Texans 65 years or older.
The effort is part of the State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program, which has delivered the life-saving vaccine to 10 Texas counties, which include DeWitt, Glasscock, Kenedy, Marion, Motley, McMullen, Real, Sherman, Starr and Terrell counties.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Military Department, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas National Guard have teamed up to make the deliveries.
“The Texas A&M System has people on the ground who are already well-known by the communities they serve, in every county in the state, making us the perfect partner to assist with the State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program,” said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “We are proud to be a part of this life-saving effort to serve these rural communities in need.”
The Texas Military Department provides the medics to vaccinate individuals, and A&M System partners coordinate teams and transport vaccines via their “Pony Express” to the rural counties, just as they have done with COVID-19 tests since May.
Governor Greg Abbott first announced the State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program in January.
“Thank you to our partners at TDEM, TMD, the Texas A&M Engineering Service and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for working together to ensure underserved counties have access to COVID-19 vaccines,” Gov. Abbott said in a statement. “The State Mobile Vaccine Program is an important part of our work to get more vaccines in arms and ensure the health and safety of our communities.
”To download b-roll of vaccine deliveries to rural areas, please click here.
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation with a budget of $6.3 billion. The System is a statewide network of 11 universities; a comprehensive health science center; eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M System educates more than 151,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $1 billion in FY 2019 and helped drive the state’s economy.
Contact: Laylan Copelin
Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications
(979) 458-6425
(512) 289-2782 cell
lcopelin@tamus.edu