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Abbott
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Dec. 2 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made an initial allotment of over 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to the State of Texas.
These vaccines, which should begin arriving in Texas the week of Dec. 14, will be distributed to qualifying providers across the state who will administer these immunizations. Additional allotments may be made later this month for December. Also, increased allotments are expected in the following months.
“The State of Texas is already prepared for the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, and will swiftly distribute these vaccines to Texans who voluntarily choose to be immunized,” said Abbott in a press release. “As we await the first shipment of these vaccines, we will work with communities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
In November, Abbott said
Texas will initially allocate vaccines based on the following criteria:
• Protecting health care workers who care for and preserve the lives of patients and maintain the health care infrastructure;
• Protecting frontline workers who are at greater risk due to the nature of their work;
• Protecting vulnerable populations who are at greater risk of severe disease and death;
• Mitigating health inequities;
• Data-driven allocations using the best available scientific evidence and epidemiology at the time, allowing for flexibility for local conditions.
• Geographic diversity through a balanced approach that considers access in urban and rural communities and in affected ZIP codes.
• Transparency through sharing allocations with the public and seeking public feedback.