Letter to the Hon. Steve Ricchetti, Counselor to the President - Rep. Cuellar, San Antonio Delegation Call for Federal Community Vaccination Center in San Antonio Region

Letter

Dear Mr. Ricchetti:

On February 11, 2021, we were notified of vaccine efforts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management agency conducting "pilot sites" in the national effort to speed up the nation's COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort. We are requesting that you make this an opportunity available to the San Antonio region as soon as possible.

San Antonio and Bexar County have the capacity, readiness, and need to increase vaccination distribution and administration. The City of San Antonio and its partners have successfully established four large vaccinations centers across our community, prioritizing high risk groups and those most in need. They continue to innovate by using Community Health Prevention teams to go door-to-door to register eligible residents in targeted areas and utilize Meals on Wheels to vaccinate homebound seniors. Consideration of the San Antonio region as a "super-site" would also provide vaccine access for other communities in South Texas that have been hard-hit by the pandemic.

We applaud the work of the President and the Federal Emergency Management Administration to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities. In addition to being the third most populous area in the state, Bexar County is ranked first in the Centers for Disease Control's Social Vulnerability Index. This index measures a community's need for support to prepare and respond to events such as the current pandemic and considers factors such as poverty, access to transportation, housing, and healthcare. Our community's vulnerability is also reflected in the ultimate impact of COVID-19. Bexar County has suffered more deaths per capita than the other large population centers in the state.

We respectfully request that you make the San Antonio region the next community to host one of the Federal Community Vaccination Centers as quickly as possible.