The Houston Health Department now offers an online registration option for qualifying people to join the Area Agency on Aging waitlist, which is used for the COVID-19 mass vaccination site at NRG Park. The waitlist is open to people age 65 and older and people age 60 and older with chronic health conditions. People with disabilities may also join the waitlist. 
Online Registration: houstonemergency.org/covid-19-vaccines/
Phone Registration: 832-393-4301


U.S. Bishop Chairmen for Doctrine and for Pro-Life Address the Use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine

March 2, 2021

WASHINGTON– On March 2, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recently approved for use in the United States. 
 
“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.
“Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.’[1]  However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.  
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good.”
For further details, we refer people to our earlier December 2020 statement, to our Answers to Key Ethical Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines, to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith’s Note, and to the statement of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life. 

Catholic Charities is offering support to the community affected by the recent winter storm and by the pandemic – please see links below. 
https://catholiccharities.org/winterstormhelp/
https://houstonharrishelp.org/
 

• Texas DSHS Vaccine Information page (including 1A/1B eligible population definitions): https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx
• City of Houston Vaccine Resource Page: https://houstonemergency.org/covid-19-vaccines/
• For those wanting to read more about the vaccine and get the answers to many of your questions, the state has prepared this comprehensive Q&A webpage: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine-faqs.aspx
•  HoustonEmergency.org/covid19: The primary resource for public information about COVID-19 vaccinations is the vaccine page of HoustonEmergency.org/covid19. The page is very frequently updated and has information about HHD vaccine clinics, the DSHS vaccine provider map, safety, FAQs, facts sheets, etc. 

To read a statement from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo on the Moral Permissibility of Recently Announced Vaccines for COVID-19  please click Here.

• For testing site info: https://publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/Resources/2019-Novel-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Testing-Information
• Latest updates on isolation and precautions https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/duration-isolation.html
• COVID-19 Interview Series with Bob Harvey Greater Houston Partnership: https://zoom.us/j/91203868725?pwd=ZGxJV0h4WVNoQVpFM252ZmNlSitOQT09#success
• New report released on testing protocols for K-12 schools.  https://bit.ly/359TChc
• HISD landing page is here https://www.houstonisd.org/covid19dashboard
• State-wide COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line - 833-986-1919 ttps://publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/Portals/27/Documents/HCPH_FluEvents_Flyer-1-1.pdf?ver=TLAISG21CXSWh-lOe77oYw%3d%3d
• Remember that Meals on Wheels is here to help your senior congregants who need home delivered meals.  713-533-4970 https://www.imgh.org/ircp/multi-faith-council/