Governor Greg Abbott says COVID-19 vaccine will go to healthcare workers, vulnerable Texans first

SAINT ANTHONY – Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state’s Department of Health have announced a plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as the virus continues to spread uncontrollably during the holiday season.

The expert group on vaccine allocation recommended that the vaccine be allocated to specific groups such as healthcare workers, frontline workers and vulnerable populations, the governor’s office said on Monday.

The initial distribution of the drug could begin as early as December. The office did not specify which drug will be distributed, as three vaccines reported late-stage data for a possible COVID-19 vaccine.

AstraZeneca said on Monday that late stage trials have shown its COVID-19 vaccine to be highly effective, and competing drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna said their vaccines were nearly 95 percent effective.

According to the EVAP guidelines, the criteria for the vaccine also include:

• Texans with health inequalities “due to factors such as demographics, poverty, insurance status and geography,” the office said.
• Cities in urgent need of vaccine, based on data.
• Balanced access for rural and urban communities that have been affected by the virus.

“These guiding principles established by the Expert Panel on Vaccine Allocation will ensure that the state of Texas rapidly distributes the COVID-19 vaccine to Texans who voluntarily choose to be vaccinated,” Abbott said. “This basis of the allocation process will help us mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, protect the most vulnerable Texans, and safeguard critical state resources.”

Health workers include hospital staff, EMS workers, long-term health facility staff, and home health workers.

Texas State Department health departments reported 8,554 new cases of COVID-19 and 89 more deaths on Sunday.

The state calculated a one-day high of 12,597 new cases of the virus on Saturday.

As the country braces for a possible bleak winter amid the holidays and shopping seasons, Abbott has refused to lock down the state.

A statewide mask order remains in place, but it has ruled out additional lockdowns such as the ones it implemented in March and June.

The United States has recorded at least 12 million reported cases and more than 255,000 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Also read: