| Austin American-Statesman
How many vaccines, cases of COVID-19, have there been in Texas?
One year after the start of the pandemic, more than 2.3 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Texas.
Nate Chute, Wochit
Before Texans in groups 1A, 1B and 1C finally reach the point where they can roll up their sleeves and get the COVID-19 vaccine on their arm, they have to make an appointment and often wait in line. But there is no step or checkpoint before vaccination that requires proof of eligibility.
With many people skipping the queue to get the vaccine before their turn, this begs the question – why aren’t vaccine providers demanding proof of eligibility to ensure that vaccines go to prioritized individuals?
For a start, the Texas Department of Health Services wants to keep it that way. In his Guide to Vaccine Provider HUBs, number seven on the list is: “DO NOT require medical condition documentation. Self-disclosure is sufficient.”
The guideline goes hand in hand with its counterparts, who ask vaccine providers not to limit vaccine eligibility by location, race, ethnicity or income level. The DSHS does not want any vaccine to be wasted. If there is no one in the priority groups available for an expiring vaccine, providers are instructed to “vaccinate any willing person, instead of wasting it”.
“We don’t want to create barriers that prevent people from being vaccinated, and each vaccinated person slows down the spread of the disease and relieves pressure on the hospital system,” said Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Texas State Department of Health Services.
Vaccine providers can check medical records if they have access, according to Anton. Otherwise, people do not need to bring any medical records to receive the vaccine. Austin’s public health policy doesn’t even want to ask for identification when it comes to vaccine appointments, so immigration status is not an impediment. Instead, they accept any individual who, according to the registration questionnaire, qualifies for the vaccine.
“Our hope is that people are truthful and don’t jump out of line to help us ensure that the most vulnerable members continue to have access to the vaccine,” said an Austin Public Health spokesman.
Outside Texas, there is the Health Insurance Liability and Portability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that protects people’s health information. With COVID-19 applications and scheduling sites, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) had to ease some restrictions to allow them to function without penalty. In doing so, they even recommend scheduling websites and apps to receive as little protected health information as possible, in addition to other protective measures.
To date, about 4.5 million Texans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which corresponds to about 15% of the state’s population.