Texas to receive more than 500,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week
News Release
Jan. 29, 2021
The state of Texas will receive 520,425 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government for the week of Feb. 1. The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship those doses to 344 providers in 166 counties across Texas. That includes 82 hub providers that will focus on broader community vaccination efforts including the hardest hit populations and areas in exchange for a steady supply of vaccine from week to week. 262 other providers will receive doses next week, including more than 100 federally qualified health centers, community health centers, and rural health clinics that typically provide primary care for underserved populations.
The increase in vaccine available is due to two factors: a 30 percent increase in the number of Moderna doses being provided to the state by the federal government, and a one-time return of 126,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that Texas was required to set aside for the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. The program overestimated the amount of vaccine needed, so doses are being given back to the states.DSHS is allocating the doses from the long-term care program to providers in counties where allocations have been significantly less than their share of the population, particularly in the suburban Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.
In addition to the first doses mentioned above, the state is ordering 188,225 doses intended as the second dose for people first vaccinated a few weeks ago. DSHS is working with providers to make sure that they order the number of second doses they need at the appropriate time. People should be able to return to the same provider to receive their second dose.
Texas providers have administered nearly 2.2 million doses of vaccine. More than 1.75 million people have received at least one dose, and more than 410,000 have been fully vaccinated. People are not required to be vaccinated in their county of residence, and vaccine has been administered to residents of all 254 counties.
Texas continues to vaccinate health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccine remains limited based on the capacity of the manufacturers to produce it, so it will take time for Texas to receive enough vaccine for all the people in the priority populations who want to be vaccinated. Currently, there is not enough vaccine to supply every provider with vaccine every week. Additional vaccines are in clinical trials, and Johnson & Johnson could request authorization for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration as early as next month.
People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine.
Helpful links:
- Full list of vaccine allocations for the week of Feb. 1
- Vaccination hub providers with contact information
- DSHS/TDEM map of vaccine providers
- Texas Vaccine Data
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(News Media Contact: pressofficer@dshs.texas.gov