Coronavirus: Texas will expand COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 50 and over

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Texas health officials said they are ready to expand the eligibility of the COVID-19 vaccine for the long-awaited Phase 1C group, which they have now clarified to include all remaining unvaccinated Texans aged 50 and over. .

The Texas Department of Health Services has pointed to data showing that 93% of deaths in the state caused directly by the coronavirus occur in people aged 50 and over. In addition, Texans aged 50 to 64 are responsible for 20% of all COVID-19 deaths.

On Wednesday, 44,650 COVID-19 deaths were counted in Texas.

SEE MORE: Track the availability and progress of the COVID-19 vaccine in Houston

Vaccinations for the new group begin next Monday, March 15.

The Specialist Vaccine Allocation Panel, which makes the recommendations, has 17 members across the state.

“We have been analyzing vaccines very quickly and the main challenge is to get the CDC to allocate vaccines for us,” said Expert David Vaccine Allocation Panel member Dr. David Lakey.

The state is getting a lot more vaccine, with about a million doses a week.

As there is more vaccine, they can now administer more injections. Group 1C includes about five million people. Lakey said that about a million people in that group fall into 1A or 1B.

But why base it on age? After all, the CDC even recommended that essential workers be on the list.

“The state of Texas has adopted a different strategy than the CDC. The Texas data was very clear that the biggest risk factor for being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19 was not your occupation, but your age, ”said Lakey.

“We have seen a noticeable reduction in the number of hospitalizations and deaths since people aged 65 and over started being fully vaccinated in January,” said Imelda Garcia, who is a DSHS associate commissioner for laboratory services and infectious diseases and President of Expert Vaccine Allocation panel. “Expansion to the ages of 50 to 64 will continue the state’s priorities to protect those most at risk of serious outcomes and preserve the state’s health system.”

In the previous week, DSHS directed state vaccine providers to vaccinate teachers and caregivers of children immediately after a federal-level directive.

Nearly 4.7 million Texans have at least one dose of the vaccine.

SEE ALSO: Texas Medical Center leaders talk about implanting the COVID-19 vaccine

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