If you live in Texas, you can get your COVID vaccine sooner

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The launch of two effective coronavirus vaccines provided the first impetus for public optimism that the end of the pandemic is really in sight. As pharmaceutical companies work side by side with the government and agencies like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to vaccinate Americans, it is also becoming clearer when you can be vaccinated yourself. But while the CDC makes recommendations on who should receive their vaccines first, it is up to each state to decide exactly how they are distributed – and one state is countering the trend: Texas. Depending on your age and current state of health, you can bet you will get the COVID vaccine sooner in the lone star state. Read on to see who qualifies for an accelerated injection in Texas and for more information on how to prepare, check out These are the only people who shouldn’t be taking 2 doses of the COVID vaccine.

States, including Texas, followed the CDC’s recommendations for Phase 1a of the vaccination process, which includes healthcare professionals, EMS workers and residents of nursing homes and long-term care. But on December 21, the Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS) announced that it was choosing not to follow the CDC’s recommendations on who would receive the next round of vaccinations during Phase 1b, The week reports. Instead of inoculating essential frontline workers and people over 75, Texas chose to give its next doses for people aged 65 and over as well as any other adults over 16 years of age with serious health problems, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart disease, obesity, organ transplant status, diabetes and sickle cell disease and pregnant women.

“Focusing on people aged 65 or over or who have comorbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations”, Imelda Garcia, president of the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel and associate commissioner of the DSHS for laboratory services and infectious diseases, said in a press release. “This approach ensures that Texans at the greatest risk of COVID-19 can be protected across all races and ethnicities and regardless of where they work.”

Texas has not yet completed the implementation of Phase 1a vaccine distribution. The DSHS estimates that “it will probably take at least a few weeks” before 1.9 million residents who fall into this category receive their doses and Phase 1b can begin.

If you don’t live in Texas, read on to see when you will be next in line for your photo in most of the United States and for the latest COVID news, check out If you’re not doing this, your mask won Protect you, says study.

Read the original article at Better life.

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At a meeting on December 20, the CDC panel of experts with the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) decided that Phase 1b should include people aged 75 and over because they are at “high risk of associated morbidity. COVID-19 and mortality, “noted the panel.

This represents an increase over the age of 65 previously recommended as a limit, which Texas is adhering to. Adults aged 65 to 74 must be inoculated in Phase 1c, according to ACIP. And for more information on the age group most affected by the new strain, check If you are under that age, you are more likely to get the new COVID strain.

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Essential workers represent the first time that the recommended groups have been divided into different phases. After the meeting on December 20, ACIP decided that the group – which the Department of Homeland Security estimates at 90 million people – must have certain members, such as police, fire and correction officials prioritized over others I cannot work with From home, The New York Times reports. And for more vaccine news, check if you are allergic to it, you must wait to receive the COVID vaccine.

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Phase 1b also includes “agricultural and food workers, US Postal workers, manufacturing workers, grocery workers, public transport workers and those working in the education sector (teachers and support staff members), as well as workers child care “, according to ACIP recommendations.

The panel noted that people in these professions have an “increased risk of occupational exposure compared to other essential categories of workers, as well as the benefits to society of maintaining these essential functions.” In addition, some of these industries have “high proportions of some racial and ethnic minority groups that have experienced disproportionate incidence of COVID-19, morbidity and mortality”, points out the ACIP. And for more regular updates on the vaccine and the virus, subscribe to our daily newsletter.

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According to ACIP recommendations, Phase 1c should include people aged 16 to 64 who are most vulnerable to COVID due to high risk conditions. Similar to the Texas list, the CDC defines this group as people with diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, sickle cell disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and any immunocompromised person with solid organ transplants. It also includes smokers and pregnant women. And for more COVID news, check out Dr. Fauci just gave an alert on the new COVID strain in the USA

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Essential workers not included in Phase 1b can obtain their vaccines in Phase 1C, including workers “in transport and logistics, water and sewage, food service, shelter and housing (for example, construction), finance (for example, bank tellers ), information and communications technology, energy, legal, media, public safety (for example, engineers) and public health workers. “And for more information on how the pandemic is affecting your area, check the severity of the COVID outbreak. in your state.

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