FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – In an effort to get more residents to “roll up their sleeves” in the fight against COVID-19, Fort Bend County officials have launched the “Our Shot to Get Back to Normal” COVID-19 vaccine outreach public awareness campaign.
Fort Bend County Judge KP George, Health and Human Services Deputy Director Dr. Kaye Reynolds, Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage, and other community and faith leaders spoke about the initiative Tuesday morning.
For nearly the last two years, everyone in the country has experienced first hand what it is like to navigate during the pandemic, and Fort Bend was the first Texas county to have a front row seat.
The first COVID-19 case in Texas was documented in Stafford on March 4, 2020. Since then, county officials have been aggressive in their approach to ensure residents receive lifesaving vaccinations.
“From that day, we took COVID very seriously because we knew it was a virus and how it behaved and we could deal with it as long as we depend on science, data and experts,” the judge explained. “We are still in the top five in the state of Texas out of 254 counties when it comes to vaccines. We even bought a vaccine lab on wheels so that we could take the vaccine to people who were without transportation.”
The hard work has gotten results. The county’s threat level was lowered from red to orange last week and there are still pockets of the population that need to be reached.
“It’s not red to green, so that means we have more steps to go to get there,” George said. “COVID is right here in our community and among us. As a community we can get back to normal.”
In the end, for George, it’s about spreading the good news.
“Tell your story, that is the best thing. I don’t see people dropping dead because they got vaccinated,” he said. “There is a lot of misinformation out there and that is what we are fighting against. Do it not just for you, but for your family, your friends and your community.”
Click here for more resources available in Fort Bend County, including COVID-19 testing, vaccination locations, etc.