As mass vaccination efforts push forward across the Rio Grande Valley, many older residents are still facing struggles to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Many vaccine clinics in the Valley say they're going to continue using the honor method to get as many people vaccinated as possible. 

According to the Department of State and Health Services (DSHS), if people in line say they have an underlying health condition, the staff at the vaccination clinic have to take their word for it. 

Some elderly residents are now questioning the honor system due to the lack of available wristbands for vaccines.

READ ALSO: Rio Grande Valley woman speaks out on COVID-19 vaccine clinic confusion

Rosalva Reyes, a cancer survivor, says she and her husband, both in their late 60's, got up before dawn this week to line up for a wristband. After waiting for over two hours, the elderly couple gave up and left empty handed. 

"Let's just go home. We've been up since 4:30 a.m.; it's already seven something. Let's just go home, I'm tired," Reyes said she told her husband. 

The long and unfruitful wait is a shared experience for other older folks seeking protection from the coronavirus in the form of the vaccine. 

"One of my friends, she was also in line," Reyes said. "She said they got up at three in the morning to get out there in line and the same thing happened to her."

Watch the video for the full story.