Texas officials worry about COVID-19 vaccines as numbers get worse

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Texas officials once again asked health professionals to administer more coronavirus vaccines on Tuesday, the same day the state reported that the proportion of Texans whose coronavirus tests were positive has reached levels never seen since a wave of cases in the summer that overwhelmed some hospitals.

The state reported on Tuesday that 163,700 Texans were vaccinated with at least one dose of the vaccine. About 1.2 million doses have been allocated to providers across the state during the first three weeks since their arrival, according to the State Department of Health Services.

“A significant portion of vaccines distributed throughout Texas may be on hospital shelves, rather than being given to vulnerable Texans,” said Governor Greg Abbott said in a tweet on Tuesday night.

This tweet came after health officials asked providers who received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to “vaccinate immediately” all eligible Texans, including people aged 65 and over and those who are at least 16 years old with a qualified medical condition. . That renewed momentum echoed a statement that Dr. John Hellerstedt, Texas DSHS commissioner, sent to providers last week instructing them to “manage their entire quota at all deliberate speed.”

“Dr. Hellerstedt released this statement today to make it clear to all providers that people over 65 and people with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 are eligible to receive the vaccine now , “ said spokesman Douglas Loveday. “The vaccine supply remains limited, but more vaccine will be delivered to providers each week. It will take time to vaccinate all priority groups ”.

The pressure from Texas authorities for providers to administer more vaccines comes when The average positivity rate for COVID-19 in Texas over seven days remained above 15% for a week, according to data the state released on Tuesday. And this sustained increase in the rate comes a day after the state reported a record number of Texans hospitalized with the virus.

“We can expect an increasing number of cases in the coming weeks as a result, and not far behind the increase in cases there will be an increase in hospitalizations and potential fatalities,” said Angela Clendenin, epidemiologist and biostatistics at Texas A&M University School of Public Health .

Clendenin said the increase in the rate of positivity is probably partly due to a greater number of tests among people who are asymptomatic and those who show only mild symptoms.

On Tuesday, the state reported that 17.15% of molecular coronavirus tests returned as confirmed cases in the past seven days. The seven-day average positivity rate has remained above 15% since December 22.

Abbott in May said that a sustained positivity rate above 10% was cause for alarm.

“If the positivity test rate is more than 10%, this is one of the red flags that we started looking at,” Abbott said at a news conference on May 5.

But in recent months, Abbott has repeatedly vowed to end any further shutdown. Instead, he pointed to a statewide masking mandate that remains in effect and certain occupancy reductions that are triggered when the proportion of COVID-19 patients in a region exceeds 15% of the hospital’s capacity for seven days. An analysis by the Texas Tribune found that these restrictions did little to alleviate overburdened health systems in the areas most affected by the virus.

“Gov. Abbott continues to rely on data-based hospitalization metrics used by doctors and medical experts to help inform and guide the state’s ongoing efforts to mitigate COVID-19, ”said spokesman Renae Eze. “As some communities experience an increase in hospitalizations, the state of Texas is working closely with local authorities to quickly provide the resources needed to address these peaks and keep Texans safe, including increased medical staff and supplies.”

In September, the Texas DSHS began publishing a new version of the state’s positivity rate. It takes into account the date when a test was administered, not when it was reported. This change in reports revealed that the proportion of people who received positive test results was higher in the spring than originally reported.

The increase in the rate of positivity in Texas is the latest in a series of metrics that concern public health experts, especially in the middle of the holiday season, which could aggravate a virus that is already spreading.

On Monday, the state reported that more Texans were hospitalized with the virus than at any time during the pandemic. And earlier this month, the stock of available intensive care beds in the state fell to its lowest point. There were 11,775 people in hospitals on Tuesday and 653 ICU beds available.

Two weeks ago, Texas began vaccinating frontline health workers and nursing home residents and workers, marking a significant first step in the fight against the coronavirus. But experts estimate it will take between six and nine months for the COVID-19 vaccine to be widely available.

“It is more important than ever, where we are today, to remain extremely vigilant about physical detachment, wearing masks, good hand hygiene and avoiding non-essential trips and meetings with others outside our homes until the vaccine is widely available and a significant number of people have been vaccinated, ”said Clendenin.

Mandi Cai contributed to this story.

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