Texas is becoming the biggest state to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for all adults, more than a month ahead of President Joe Biden’s goal of making vaccines available to anyone he wants by May 1.
The announcement by state health officials on Tuesday adds Texas to the growing list of states that are making the vaccine available to all adults. The drastic expansion to the state’s nearly 30 million residents will begin on Monday.
“We are reaching 10 million doses administered in Texas and we want to keep pace as vaccine supply increases,” said Imelda Garcia, president of the state’s Specialized Vaccine Allocation Panel.
Want to get on a vaccine waiting list?
County health departments have launched waiting lists for those who wish to be vaccinated and qualified in Phase 1A, 1B, 1C and for daycare and education teams.
You can register to receive vaccinations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. The links are below:
Waiting list links: Collin – Research Waiting List | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant
You don’t have to be a county resident to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county – registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without access to the Internet, Tarrant County is also accepting applications by calling 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.
For the past two weeks, Texas has been the nation’s largest coronavirus-free state after Republican Governor Greg Abbott revoked a masked mandate that split businesses and raised restaurant and retail occupancy limits. Texas hospitalizations have plummeted to their lowest levels since October, but local health officials say they are again watching the numbers closely after last week’s spring break.
Alaska was the first state to open the vaccine’s eligibility to all adults, and others are now rushing to do the same, including Tennessee and Missouri.
Texas has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. Approximately 10% of the state’s population had been fully vaccinated by Tuesday, and about 22% had received at least one dose, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control.
State officials attributed the numbers to blackouts caused by a deadly winter storm and claimed that federal authorities used outdated Census data to determine the delivery of doses through Texas.
Biden earlier this month used his first prime-time speech to promise that all adults in the United States would be eligible for the vaccine from May 1.
The vaccine is currently being administered only to those who are part of Phases 1A, 1B and 1C, as described by the Texas Department of Health Services. Those in Phase 1A are frontline health professionals or residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes those over 65 or those over 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at risk for serious illness.
On March 3, the vaccine’s availability was expanded to include school and daycare staff. On March 15, the vaccine’s eligibility was expanded to include Phase 1C, which includes anyone over 50.
President Biden said the vaccine should be available to all Americans by May 1.
Once vaccinated, people are expected to achieve some level of protection a few weeks after the first injection, but full protection may not happen until a few weeks after the second injection. Even when fully vaccinated, it is still possible to be infected by the virus, as the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.