Vaccine Appointments

We require NO appointment for a vaccine! You can walk into one of pharmacies and get vaccinated in no time! We invite you to come!.

-New Moderna and Pfizer Bivalent Booster are now available at our pharmacies!

See the bottom of this page for frequently asked questions, pharmacy locations, and instructions for the tests.

*Bivalent Booster Dose*

- The CDC has approved COVID-19 Bivalent Omicron-Specific Booster Doses

- Pfizer Bivalent Boosters approved for patients 12 years and older, 2 months after the last COVID shot

- Moderna Bivalent Boosters will be recommended 2 months after the last COVID shot for patients ages 18 and older

- Mixing and Matching booster doses is also approved

Infant and Toddler COVID-19 Vaccine

We have the new COVID-19 Vaccines for Children less than 5 years old available. Please note that Pharmacies are only allowed to immunize children as young as 3 years old. For children younger than 3 years old, please contact a pediatrician or doctor's office.

Novavax vaccine available

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is the latest approved COVID-19 Vaccine.

• - Patient's 12 years and older
• - Traditional vaccine (NOT mRNA)
• - 2 Doses (3 - 8 weeks apart)

On-Site COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

COVID-19 vaccines are an essential tool we have to get back to "normal" life, and we plan to help make it easier than ever!

Just like our incredible on-site Flu Shot Clinics, we are now offering a mobile solution to getting your office, school, apartment, or community a COVID-19 vaccine.

Our team would bring all of the necessary equipment and supplies, bring and collect sign-up forms ahead of time, and provide an efficient and enjoyable vaccination experience!

Preparing for your child's vaccine

We know that getting a shot can be a scary time for our children. There are ways that you can prepare and work with us to make the process as smooth as possible.

Pfizer Vaccine for Kids

The FDA and CDC have approved the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old! Pfizer created a unique product specifically for children 5-11, that is identified by an orange cap. We are approved to use this special formulation for our Pfizer appointments for this age group.

Booster Dose: Patients 5-11 years old can receive a booster dose 5 months after their last dose of a primary vaccine series (after 2nd dose, or after 3rd immunocompromised dose) Immunocompromised patients 5-11 years old, can get a third vaccine, to help boost the immune system at least 28 days after their second shot.

Appointments are based on availability and vaccine supply.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Ultra-Low Freezer Storage

Way back in September, we were already taking action to serve our community and the city of McAllen. We invested in an Ultra-Low Freezer that can achieve temperatures as low as -89 C, to prepare for storing certain COVID-19 Vaccines (Pfizer). Our ultra-low freezer is now installed in our pharmacy!

We've also been working for months to become a COVID-19 Provider though the Texas Department of State Health Services, been in contact with Pfizer and McAllen Public Health, so we can better educate the public, and we have logistics for immunizing on a large scale in-store, at multiple locations, and through mobile clinics. Initial distribution of the vaccine in Texas is through the Texas Department of State Health Services, and we want them to know that we are ready to serve the RGV community.

Pharmacists have traditionally been the only healthcare providers to be immunization certified and trained for decades. We have provided millions of vaccines over the years, and are the most accessible healthcare professional in the #usa.

Independent pharmacies are in cities big and small, have strong ties to local businesses and nursing homes, and want to see our communities heal and thrive.

About the Vaccine

How do mRNA vaccines work?

- Conventional vaccines like influenza, shingles, and pneumonia vaccines usually contain either an inactivated portion of a virus, a live viral vector, a protein subunit, or a virus-like particle. These are all considered antigens, which are recognized by the body as an infectious agent. By doing so, these vaccines stimulate the body's immune system to fight the infectious agent and be ready to provide a more rapid response if exposed to it again in the future.

- Unlike normal vaccines, an mRNA vaccine works by using your body's existing machinery: the cell's processes of making DNA, RNA, and eventually proteins! Rather than injecting a protein into the body, the vaccine inserts a messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence (the genetic sequence that contains directions for what molecules to build) which is coded to produce only a fragment of the disease-specific antigen for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

- Once produced within the body, the antigen will be recognized by your immune system, preparing it to fight the real virus if it is exposed to it in the future, without causing the actual disease. The body does this by making their own proteins, called antibodies, that can neutralize the antigen and the real virus if you ever get infected. Your body will also make memory cells that can produce antibodies at a much faster rate during future exposures.

COVID mRNA Vaccines vs. Traditional Vaccines:

Safety: Normal vaccines use either weakened or inactivated viral pathogens, which have a very low chance of causing disease, but are still potentially infectious. mRNA vaccines are not made with either, and do not last in our body’s genes to be passed on through cell replication. Rather, it's degraded by natural processes after making the antigen. In terms of adverse effects, mRNA vaccine sequences are designed to mimic those produced by mammalian cells to minimize the risk of immune reactions.

Effectiveness: Clinical trial results indicate that mRNA vaccines generate a strong immune response (Both Pfizer and Moderna’s leading COVID-19 vaccines have > 90% effectiveness) and are well-tolerated by most individuals. While Pfizer has not released official safety information, no serious side effects have appeared to date, and most adverse effects to vaccines occur within the first few weeks of vaccination.

Production Efficiency: mRNA vaccines have the advantage of being able to be produced in laboratories using DNA templates and standard vaccine materials. This makes it easier to make rather than having to use chicken eggs or mammalian cells, which takes months to grow, harvest, and purify. This is why mRNA vaccines can be produced several months faster than normal, and cost less than traditional vaccines!

Stability and Route of Administration: Because free mRNA is degraded quickly in our body, the mRNA strand is packaged into a larger particle to help stabilize it after injection. It also has particular storage requirements, which differs dependent on the vaccine:

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will need to be stored at -94 °F, and will degrade in around 5 days at normal refrigerator temperatures. However, Pfizer is developing shipping containers using dry ice to keep the vaccine stable during shipping, and healthcare facilities will use ultra-low freezers to store the vaccine before administration.

The Moderna vaccine can be maintained at regular freezer temperatures for up to 6 months, and up to 30 days after thawing in standard refrigerated conditions (36 to 46 °F).

Side effects: Both Pfizer and Moderna have reported vaccine side effects that are similar to mild COVID-19 or common flu symptoms, such as muscle pain, chills and headache (this is common to the Shingles vaccine as well, though muscle pain/vaccine site irritation is possible with all vaccines). Patients in both trials for the vaccines reported that they experienced high fever, body aches, headaches, daylong exhaustion and other symptoms after receiving the shots but that they resolved within a day.

If you have additional questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine, feel free to call one of our pharmacies and discuss it with a pharmacist.