AUSTIN, Texas – Texans 50 years and older could be eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from March 15, state health officials announced Wednesday.
“The expansion to the age of 50 to 64 will continue the state’s priorities to protect those most at risk of serious consequences and to protect the state’s healthcare system,” said Imelda Garcia, co-commissioner for laboratory health services and infectious diseases, said. from the expert panel for the award of vaccines.
The move to expand the suitability for a new category of Texans means that the availability of vaccines is rising across the state. However, it can be difficult to find appointments as the number of recipients is more than the vaccine supply. Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, between 10 million and 13 million people – more than one-third of the Texas population – were already eligible, according to state health officials.
Previously, the doses of the vaccine were limited to leading healthcare workers, long-term caregivers and staff, people 65 years and older or at least 16 with a qualifying health condition. Last week, teachers and childcare workers also came into consideration, after President Joe Biden’s government ordered schools to prioritize employees.
To date, nearly 7 million doses of the vaccine have been administered across Texas and more than 4.5 million people have received at least one dose, according to state data. In total, about 8.5% of the Texas population is fully vaccinated.
Texas is still far from herd immunity – the level at which a sufficient portion of the population is immune to Covid-19 to stop its spread. Experts estimate that between 70% and 80% of Texans need to be vaccinated to exceed the threshold. This amounts to almost 100% of the adults in the state.
The announcement of the extended admission to vaccine comes on the same day that the mandate for the entire mask ends. Greg Abbott implemented the mandate for the first time in July. On Monday, service workers gathered outside the Texas Capitol to protest against the decision to withdraw safety restrictions and demand access to the vaccine.
Abbott spoke at a press conference last week on the announcement of the vaccine when he announced that he was revoking the mask mandate and allowing every business – restaurant, pubs, shops and sports stadiums – with 100% capacity. Abbott cited a number of key Covid-19 measures, including a decline in new hospitalizations and the positive percentage across the country, as proof that Texas is ‘now’ in a much better position.
In the nearly three months since Texas received the first shipment of the Covid-19 vaccine, supply has steadily increased. There are now three approved vaccines in the US – Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, both of which require two doses, and Johnson & Johnson, which requires one dose.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management officials have also begun vaccinating sites targeting underserved communities in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The sites are the NRG Stadium in Houston, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Fair Park in Dallas.
Concern is still about fair access to the vaccine. State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, on Wednesday expressed frustration over the low vaccination rate among color communities on which the pandemic has taken an excessive toll.
“I feel like you broke my heart and broke your promise to me,” Miles told Garcia, chair of the EPAP, during a meeting of the Senate Health Committee.
The increasing number of vaccinated Texans has meant for some that it is back to normal. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that fully vaccinated people can visit safely with other vaccines and with small groups of non-vaccinated. But the CDC warned that Covid-19 still poses a serious health risk, and urged everyone – including vaccinated – to continue wearing masks and keeping physical distance in public.
State health officials estimate that the vaccine will be available to the general public later this spring. Biden said earlier this month that by the end of May, the U.S. will have enough stock of the COVID-19 vaccine for each adult.