Blanca Alvarado administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a patient in Laredo on Feb. 1, 2021. After communities along the border saw some of the highest COVID-19 rates in the nation last summer, health officials say these communities have enthusiastically responded to vaccination efforts. Credit: Jessica Rodriguez for The Texas Tribune Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. When Rio Grande Valley retiree Robert Chapa finally got his COVID-19 vaccine in March after months of trying to secure an appointment, it was a nearby school district that came through for him.