Texas gets 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, mostly for ‘vaccination centers’

Texas will receive about 200,000 more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine next week, most of which are earmarked for large ‘vaccination centers’ capable of vaccinating up to 100,000 people – which will help streamline the distribution as the number of qualifying Texans is growing, state officials said Thursday.

“These vaccination centers offer people in the priority populations identifiable locations where vaccination occurs, and a simpler way to sign up for an appointment with each provider,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a written statement.

Officials have warned that even after the next shipment brought the total state allocation to 1.7 million since mid-December, the state still does not have enough to vaccinate the millions of Texans currently eligible not and that “it will take time” for the offer to catch up with the demand.

According to state figures, nearly 1.4 million doses were sent at the end of the day on Wednesday. The state does not publicly report how many doses providers have received. At least 475,000 Texans received the first dose of the vaccine, and more than 6,500, according to state data, were completely vaccinated with the required two doses, although those numbers lag behind in time due to delays.

A list of the major providers identified as hubs will be released later this week, the agency said.

The agency said most of the award will go to them next week, but the shipment will also go to some smaller suppliers.

The larger hubs will have to set up the registration numbers and websites and focus their efforts on hard-hit populations in their surrounding areas, the agency said. They will be instructed to continue vaccinating health workers, people 65 and older, and people with medical conditions that increase their risk.

The news comes as eligible Texans scramble across the state for answers and access to the vaccine after government officials announced in late December that hospitals should start vaccinating elderly people and those with underlying conditions, a group known as 1B, who are not eligible do not come. the first lap round reserved for health care workers and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, a group known as 1A, as the 1A people who want the chance run out.

The 1A group is estimated to contain 1.9 million people in Texas. The 1B group has an estimated 8 million people, although government officials said an indefinite number of people fall under both groups.