Texas to open COVID-19 vaccination to all adults

Houston: All adults in the US state of Texas will be eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine beginning March 29, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said.

The department on Tuesday said that vaccine supplies are expected to increase next week, and providers in multiple parts of the state have made great progress in vaccinating people in the current priority groups. Therefore, the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel recommended opening vaccination to everyone who falls under the current Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorizations to protect as many people as possible, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are closing in on 10 million doses administered in Texas, and we want to keep up the momentum as the vaccine supply increases,” said Imelda Garcia, chair of the Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel.

“As eligibility opens up, we are asking providers to continue to prioritize people who are the most at risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death — such as older adults,” Garcia said.

According to DSHS, to date, Texas has administered more than 9.3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, equating to more than six million people with at least one dose and more than three million fully vaccinated.

(IANS)