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Urgent Updates
Who can get the vaccine right now?
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), front-line healthcare workers and residents at
long-term care facilities (called Phase 1A) are eligible now. In addition, anyone
over 65 and those over 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at
increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (called Phase 1B) are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19
vaccine.
The eligible medical conditions include, but aren’t limited
to:
-Cancer
-Chronic kidney disease
-COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
-Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery
disease or cardiomyopathies
-Solid organ transplantation
-Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or
higher)
-Pregnancy
-Sickle cell disease
-Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Future phases will be announced in the coming months.
What’s the latest news on vaccine distribution?
On Saturday (January 16) the Texas Department of State Health
Services (DSHS) announced that Texas will receive 333,650 first doses
of COVID-19 vaccine next week.
“The 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. The supply is expected to increase in the coming months, and
additional vaccines are in clinical trials and may be authorized by the Food
and Drug Administration.”
The doses will be shipped to 77 hub providers that will focus on large community
vaccination efforts and 183 additional providers. Eligible citizens
should first try to contact their hub provider. Another way to search is
using the DSHS interactive map. The map
leads you to additional local vaccine providers, like pharmacies, that may
have the vaccine available.
How can my city help spread the word about vaccinations in
Texas?
DSHS has created a web page with videos, social media posts, and other
information that a city can disseminate.
Further Updates
Where can I find archived issues of the TML Coronavirus
Updates?
TML Coronavirus Updates are archived by date here and by subject here.
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