Texas expands vaccine eligibility to anyone aged 50 or over starting next week

HOUSTON – Texas health officials announced on Wednesday the expansion of eligibility requirements for the coronavirus vaccine, starting next week.

In a tweet, officials from the State Department of Health Services said that anyone 50 years of age or older would be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Monday as part of the state’s Phase 1C implementation.

Health officials said there are about 5 million Texans aged 50 to 64 and more than a million of them are already vaccinated.

This adds up to people who are already eligible to receive the vaccine in phases 1A and 1B, which includes frontline health professionals, residents and nursing home staff, some teachers and daycare professionals and anyone aged 16 or over with comorbidity.

This developing story will be updated.