/static.texastribune.org/media/files/cef08c241ef0dc9666c46d247f1a2114/Wilco%20Mass%20Vaccination%20SF%20TT%2022.jpg "Texas coronavirus vaccine eligibility expands to people aged 50 and over")
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Texans 50 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from March 15, state health officials announced on Wednesday.
“Expansion to the ages of 50 to 64 will continue the state’s priorities of protecting those most at risk of serious outcomes and preserving the state’s health system,” said Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner for the State Department of Health Services for laboratory services and infectious diseases of the Vaccine Allocation Specialist Panel.
The move to expand eligibility for a new category of Texans – labeled 1C – means that vaccine availability is increasing across the state. However, nominations can remain difficult to find, as the number of eligible recipients exceeds the vaccine supply. Before Wednesday’s announcement, between 10 million and 13 million people – more than a third of the population of Texas – were already eligible, according to state health officials.
Previously, doses of the vaccine were limited to frontline health workers, residents and long-term care workers, people aged 65 and over, or at least 16 with a qualified health problem. Last week, teachers and caregivers of children also became eligible, after President Joe Biden’s administration instructed states to prioritize school officials.
To date, nearly 7 million doses of the vaccine have been administered across Texas and more than 4.5 million people have received at least one dose, according to state data. In total, about 8.5% of the population of Texas has been fully vaccinated.
In recent weeks, service workers, including supermarket and restaurant workers, have been advocating their inclusion in the next round of eligibility, after spending nearly a year on the front line of the pandemic.
The announcement comes on the same day that the mask’s mandate ends throughout the state, fueling even more the fear about the spread of the virus among members of the sector. On Monday, service workers gathered in front of the Texas Capitol to protest the decision to reverse security restrictions and demand that they have access to the vaccine.
Federal recommendations suggest that all essential workers not included in phases 1A and 1B are included in this next phase, although Texas has previously deviated from that advice.
Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas?
Texas is currently offering vaccines to frontline health professionals, residents and employees of long-term care facilities, Texans aged 65 and over, and people who have a qualified health problem and are of a certain age, depending on the vaccine. they are getting into. You can find a list of some of these conditions here. As of March 15, Texans aged 50 and over are eligible for vaccines.
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Where can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Check with your local health care provider or public health department. The vaccine will be available at more than 80 vaccination centers across the state and in some pharmacies, clinics and hospitals. Most providers are also requiring Texans to register for consultations to receive the vaccine to minimize the flow of traffic. The state has a map of the providers that offer the vaccine here.
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I called all the providers in my area and I can’t find a vaccine. What gives?
We heard from many Texans who had this experience. There are simply many more eligible Texans who want vaccine doses now than there are doses available. It will take months before the vaccine is widely available to everyone. Until then, it is best to continue checking with providers, wait until you are eligible if you are not already and continue to wear a mask when you are in public and practice social detachment.
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Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
yea. Although some Texans have expressed hesitation about the vaccine, health experts and public officials widely agree that the vaccine is safe. Pfizer and Moderna reported that their vaccines are 95% and 94% effective, respectively, in protecting people against serious illnesses and, while no vaccine is free from side effects, clinical trials from Pfizer and Moderna show that serious reactions are rare.
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Do I need to get the vaccine if I already have the virus?
The short answer is yes. Health experts still don’t know how long natural immunity lasts after someone takes COVID-19, but the evidence suggests it doesn’t last long.
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More information about the vaccine
Texas is still a long way from herd immunity – the level at which a sufficient proportion of the population is immune to COVID-19 to stop its spread. Experts estimate that between 70% and 80% of Texans will need to be vaccinated to cross that threshold. This is equivalent to almost 100% of adults in the state.
The announcement of the extension of the vaccine’s eligibility arrives on the same day that the mask’s term ends throughout the state. The mandate was first implemented by Governor Greg Abbott last July. On Monday, service workers gathered in front of the Texas Capitol to protest the decision to reverse security restrictions and demand that they have access to the vaccine.
Abbott hinted at the vaccine announcement during a news conference last week, when he announced that he was terminating the mask’s mandate and allowing all businesses – including restaurants, bars, retail stores and sports stadiums – to operate at 100% of capacity. Abbott cited a number of important COVID-19 indicators, including a decline in new hospitalizations and the rate of positivity across the state, as evidence that Texas is “in a much better position now”.
In the nearly three months since Texas received its first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine, supply has steadily increased. There are now three vaccines approved in the United States – Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, which require two doses, and Johnson & Johnson, which requires one dose.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management officials have also begun to administer mass vaccination sites for underserved communities in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. The venues are NRG Stadium in Houston, AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Fair Park in Dallas.
Concerns remain about equitable access to the vaccine. State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, expressed frustration on Wednesday at the low vaccination rate among black communities in which the pandemic had a disproportionate impact.
“I feel like you broke my heart and broke your promise,” Miles told Garcia, EVAP’s president, during a meeting of the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The growing number of vaccinated Texans has meant, for some, a return to some appearance of normalcy. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday that fully vaccinated people can safely visit other vaccinated people and small groups of unvaccinated people. But the CDC warned that COVID-19 still poses a serious public health risk and urged everyone – including vaccinated people – to continue to wear masks and to keep physical distance in public.
State health officials estimate that the vaccine will be available to the general public later this spring. Biden said earlier this month that the United States would have sufficient supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine for each adult by the end of May.